Tropical Storms ‘Flossie’ and ‘Barry’ Poised to Bring Heavy Rains to Much of Mexico

Intense rains continue unabated in much of Mexico. This weekend, tropical depression Six-E has intensified and transformed into the tropical storm Flossie, according to the latest report from the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of the National Water Commission (Conagua). The SMN estimates that ‘Flossie’, which is moving along the southern Pacific coast, will evolve into a hurricane in the coming hours.

This new phenomenon poses a fresh threat to the battered Mexican coasts after the recent onslaught of hurricane Erick. As of Sunday morning, Flossie is located 390 kilometers south of Acapulco, in the state of Guerrero, and 780 km southeast of Manzanillo, Colima, with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (km/h) and gusts of 85 km/h.

Authorities anticipate that the cloud bands will cause torrential rains in Oaxaca, as well as on the coast and in the northern areas of Guerrero and Michoacán, with wind gusts of 70 to 90 km/h and waves of 3 to 4 meters along the coasts of Guerrero and Oaxaca.

The threat also comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Conagua reported on Sunday that tropical depression Two has intensified into the tropical storm Barry. Its center is located 265 km southeast of Tampico, Tamaulipas, and 140 km east-southeast of Tuxpan, Veracruz, with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h and gusts of 85 km/h. Storm Barry is expected to bring torrential rains to the states of Puebla and Veracruz, as well as intense rains in Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, and Hidalgo.

The National Civil Protection Coordination has already urged citizens to remain alert to the effects of both storms and has activated preventive protocols in areas with a higher likelihood of impact.