Heavy rains forecast to continue across Mexico

July 11, 2023

Woman in the rain — Despite high temperatures in the north of the country, much of Mexico is facing heavy rain, say authorities. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

Heavy-to-intense rains are expected across Mexico this Tuesday, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), while temperatures remain very high in the north.

The conditions are caused by Tropical Wave 11, a low-pressure zone currently sweeping the west of Mexico and which has a high probability of cyclonic development, will bring heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind in Jalisco and Guerrero, the SMN said.

Flooding in Morelos — Heavy rains have been forecast across much of Mexico, including Morelos, which has already seen torrential downpours related to unpredictable weather conditions in the Pacific. (Margarito Pérez Retaño/Cuartoscuro)

“Higher intensity rainfall could be accompanied by lightning, strong gusts of wind and hailstorms and cause landslides, increased levels of rivers and streams, overflows and flooding in low-lying areas,” the SNM warned in a statement.

Heavy rains area also predicted in many parts of the country on Tuesday afternoon:

50 to 75 millimeters are predicted for Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Michoacán, Oaxaca y Chiapas
Torrential cloudbursts bringing 25 to 50 millimeters of rain are predicted for Sonora, Durango, Zacatecas, Colima, Guanajuato, México state, Mexico City, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla, Veracruz y Campeche

The rest of the country will see lighter showers, the SMN said.

People walking in heavy rains in Mexico City — Temperatures in the valley of Mexico are expected to remain cool, even in the face of a heatwave in the north of the country. (Victor Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

During Tuesday afternoon, a new Tropical Wave 12 is expected to enter over the Yucatán Peninsula and interact with existing low pressure zones to cause heavy rains in Oaxaca and Chiapas.

Despite the rain, high temperatures will prevail across much of the country, with temperatures as high as 40 to 45 degrees Celsius (104 F to 113 F) in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Yucatán.

Temperatures of 35 C–40 C (95 F–104 F) are forecast for the states of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Durango, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche and Quintana Roo.

At the other extreme, temperatures as low as 0 to 5 degrees Celsius (32 F to 41 F) are predicted for some mountain areas of Baja California, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala.

The Valley of Mexico will likely remain temperate, with some rains on Tuesday afternoon.

With reports from Proceso and El Universal