Another tropical system threatens Central America

Black Immigrant Daily News

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 6, 2022

Tropical Cyclone 13 is currently off the coast of South America and is moving toward the Central America isthmus — with projections that it will further develop over the next few days. Later on today and tomorrow it is expected to cause tropical storm conditions across portions of Colombia and northern Venezuela. According to Ronald Gordon, Belize’s Chief Meteorological Officer, Belizeans should continue to vigilantly monitor this system. He said that by Sunday the strengthened storm is projected to make landfall in Central America, though where exactly it will land is still uncertain.

“The latter part of the weekend is when it will likely make landfall, if it does on the coast of Nicaragua or Honduras; that’s what the models are indicating at the moment. So that would be the likely timeframe. The impacts on us will probably be about 1 day later or so, depending on where it tracks, and like I mentioned before, the impact will depend on how large the system becomes, how powerful it becomes and how slow it is moving,” Gordon said in a Zoom press conference yesterday.

The morning, the system was moving west at about 15 miles per hour with sustained winds of about 35 miles per hour. While the system is still largely disorganized and is currently classified as a potential tropical cyclone, it is expected to gain strength and further develop as it moves into the open waters of the southwestern Caribbean Sea.

The system is projected to bring heavy rainfall to the area, a potential risk for Belize if it makes landfall and continues to move along its projected path.

“All indications are that the system will not be curving northward as we had with the hurricane recently. The forecast track is for the system to move westward and across Central America,” said Gordon.

An advisory released by NEMO this afternoon states, “The system is expected to strengthen when it moves over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. By Friday it is expected to be south of Haiti, by Saturday it is expected to be south of Jamaica, by Sunday morning it is expected to be over Nicaragua and Honduras, and by Monday it is likely to be in front of or over Belize. Rainfall amounts is likely to peak on Monday with daily totals of about 4 to 6 inches or higher. Rain is expected before the system reaches our region so flooding could occur before it makes landfall. “

NewsAmericasNow.com