Storm brings flooding, winds and violent light show to Yucatán

Some residents were terrified while others stated they loved the storm. But by any objective measure, Yucatán’s overnight deluge was the strongest since October’s Storm Delta, said meteorologists. Around 75 milimeters or close to three inches of rain fell before sunrise, a volume of precipitation that caught many off guard.

Heavy rains caused flooding throughout the Peninsula as high winds lashed the coast. Close to midnight, fierce electrical storms appeared like strobe lights in the sky, with thunder rumbling seemingly nonstop.

Newcomers to the Centro posted frantically on social media to report water gushing in from the street. They were advised to move furniture to a dry place and wait out the rainstorm, which is expected to abate this afternoon.

One forecast calls for high winds to gradually diminish while another predicts gusts up to 70 kph / 43 mph on the coast and 55 kph / 34 mph inland throughout the day. The weekend will be dry, but cooler temperatures will prevail, especially on Saturday.

Longer-term computer models foresee no more cold fronts in February.