Slow-moving Gamma to make landfall again, hitting Merida twice

Courtesy Yucatan Civil Protection

Tropical Storm Gamma will make landfall for a second time Tuesday morning, this time over Yucatan, state civil protection authorities said.

The storm earlier entered the Peninsula from its Caribbean side over the weekend, bringing floods and power outages mostly to the eastern parts of Yucatan. Now it’s threatening to pass through the state’s western points. Before it’s gone, Gamma may have been bringing wind and rain here for nearly a week.

As recently as Sunday, Gamma was predicted to remain far from the Yucatan coast, drifting farther into the Gulf of Mexico. But the forecast changed dramatically Monday.

The weather system may enter the state somewhere between Progreso and Telchac Puerto and then weaken to a tropical depression, forecasters now say.

Gamma then will travel as far inland as Mérida as well as Calkiní and Tenabo in Campeche.

Then it will turn and go out to sea again, not before passing over Santa Elena, Muna, Abalá and taking a second swipe at Merida at dawn Thursday.

Rain will continue today in Yucatan, varying in intensity with periods of clear skies.

Storm Delta, which follows Gamma, is not thought to affect Yucatan.

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