Heavy rains continue across Mexico through Friday morning

July 11, 2024

Three Mexico City residents in single file, crossing a rainy street carrying umbrellas. — Mexico has had its rainiest June in years, and this week has been no exception, as this picture from Tuesday in Mexico City shows. The National Meterological Service has predicted intense to heavy rains will continue over most of the country at least until Friday morning. (Rogelio Morales Ponce/Cuartoscuro)

Heavy rains are expected to persist in much of Mexico throughout Thursday evening, due to the impact of tropical waves 8 and 9, according to the National Meteorological System (SMN).

Troughs over Mexico’s west, northeast, east, and center, combined with humidity coming in from the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, brought electrical storms, strong winds and hail to some parts of Mexico — and rain, lots of it. And will continue to do so overnight, the SMN predicted.

Satellite weather map from Mexico's National Meteorological Service labeling several weather systems and two tropical waves currently bringing heavy rains to most of Mexico — A satellite weather map shows how low-pressure systems, two tropical waves and other factors are leaving most of Mexico very, very wet. (SMN)

Here’s a look at what the SMN is predicting through 8 a.m. Friday.

Rainfall by states

Intense rainfall, expected to bring a total of 75 to 100 mm through Thursday, is forecast for parts of:

Coahuila
Nayarit
Jalisco
Colima
Michoacán
Guerrero
Morelos
Veracruz
Oaxaca
Chiapas

Very heavy rains (50 mm to 75 mm) are forecast for parts of the following states:

Nuevo León
Tamaulipas
San Luis Potosí
Guanajuato
Querétaro
Hidalgo
México state
Puebla

And SMN predicted between 25 and 50 mm of rain for areas of:

Sonora
Chihuahua
Durango
Sinaloa
Zacatecas
Aguascalientes
Mexico City
Tlaxcala
Tabasco
Campeche
Yucatán
Quintana Roo

Light rainfall, i.e. less than 5 mm, is expected for Baja California and Baja California Sur.

In addition, SMN is warning of brief, occasional but intense electrical storms until 9 p.m. Thursday in areas of the states of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco, Yucatan, Campeche Quintana Roo, Guerrero, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Zacatecas and Durango, with wind gusts of 40 km/h to 60 km/h and possible hailstorms in Sonora and Sinaloa.

The SMN has warned that heavy, sudden rainfall could lead to landslides, increased river and stream levels, and flooding in low-lying areas and urged residents of areas experiencing heavier levels of rain to take precautions.

Updated forecasts and alerts can be found at the SMN’s account on the social media platform X.

The national weather agency also said it is monitoring a potential low-pressure zone south of the Yucatán Peninsula, with a 20% probability of cyclonic development in the next week.

Mexico has had a rainy summer so far, with its rainiest June in more than 80 years. July is expected to continue the same trend, with some models predicting rainfall well above average in many parts of Mexico.

Mexico News Daily