Hurricane Rina Bearing Down on Yucatan Peninsula

The latest report from the National Hurricane Center in Miami at 10:00 A.M. CD warns that the Mexican government “has issued a hurricane warning for the northeast coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Cancun to San Felipe.” It has also issued a tropical storm warning for the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula west of San Felipe to Progreso.

The NHC said that Hurricane Rina continues to move “toward the west-northwest near 5 mph, 8 km/h,” but a “gradual turn to the northwest with a slight increase in forward speed is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north on Thursday.

On this forecast track the storm’s center would move “near or over the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday.” Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 25 miles, 40 kms, from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, 185 kms.

Maximum sustained winds are near 110 mph, 175 km/h, with higher gusts. Rina is a category two hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. However, the NHC said a “gradual weakening is expected to begin today, and a faster weakening may occur as the center moves near or over the Yucatan Peninsula.

Source: National Hurricane Center