Dangerous Hurricane Delta to cut path of damage across Yucatan Peninsula
By
Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 6, 2020 3:27 PM EDT
|
Updated Oct 7, 2020 4:27 PM EDT
Only days after a deadly strike from Tropical Storm Gamma, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is now bearing the wrath of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to cut across the northern part of the province with high winds, torrential rain and dangerous storm surge on Wednesday.
After becoming a hurricane over the Caribbean on Monday evening, Delta rapidly strengthened Tuesday as it exploded from Category 2 strength into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale a Category 4 storm has maximum sustained winds 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h).
Delta made landfall near Puerto Morelos, Mexico, at 5:45 a.m. CDT, Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The storm was moving northwestward at a brisk 17-mph pace and can undergo weakening while interacting with the Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Delta was about to emerge along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
On Tuesday, Delta peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph during the afternoon and evening hours after undergoing rapid intensification from 40 mph to 110 mph in its first 24 hours as a named storm.
"Extremely warm water and a drop in wind shear allowed Delta to strengthen rapidly over the northwestern Caribbean," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Wind shear is the increase in wind speed with altitude as well as the sudden change in wind direction from one location to another. Wind shear and changes in the structure of the eye are some of the main challenges in forecasting the overall strength of hurricanes.
AccuWeather forecasters warn that despite weakening prior to landfall the storm will still bring major damage to the northern Yucatan Peninsula before it navigates toward the United States late this week.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Tulum to Dzilam, Mexico as well as the island of Cozumel. Both Tulum and Dzilam are towns located on the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio. In Mexico, a tropical storm warning is in effect for Punta Herrero to Tulum, and Dzilam to Progresso.
Hurricane Delta spinning over the Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday morning, Oct. 7, 2020. (NOAA/GOES-East)
One of the greatest impacts from Delta across the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula is expected to be damaging wind gusts of 100-120 mph (160-193 km/h) and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 125 mph (201 km/h) through much of Wednesday.
It is possible the strongest winds may be felt in Cancun and surrounding areas.
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Winds of this magnitude can produce widespread damage and power outages that could last for days or weeks. Weak structures can be destroyed and even well-built homes and businesses can sustain some damage, including roofs being blown off and walls collapsing.
Even well away from the storm's center, Delta's outer rain bands can produce locally damaging winds in extreme western Cuba.
In addition to destructive winds, Delta is expected to produce flooding rainfall across the western Caribbean from the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula to western Cuba and the Cayman Islands. In the hardest-hit areas, rainfall of 4-8 inches (100-200 mm) and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches (300 mm) can leading to serious flooding.
Delta is also forecast to unleash a dangerous storm surge of 6-10 feet along the northern coast of the peninsula. A 3- to 6-foot storm surge along the southwestern coast of Cuba and the upper eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula can lead to coastal flooding into Wednesday midday.
The Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba received heavy rain from Tropical Storm Gamma just days ago, so additional rain from Delta can more easily lead to flooding. At least six deaths were blamed on Gamma as the strong tropical storm's heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides.
Conditions in the western Caribbean will improve rapidly on Wednesday evening as Delta pulls away and moves into the Gulf of Mexico. On the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, Delta is forecast to be a 1 in the western Caribbean and a 2 in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula. This scale, developed by AccuWeather, gives a broader impact from tropical storms and hurricanes on land areas than does the Saffir- Simpson Scale, which is based solely on wind speed.
This year, Cristobal, as well as every named storm from Edouard through Delta, set early-formation records. Most of the previous record-holders were storms from the 2005 season. Delta from this year knocked off the 25th storm from 2005 that was named Gamma. In 2005, Gamma did not form until Nov. 18.
Delta is the 25th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which continues at a record pace and even well ahead of the notorious 2005 season. The only other season which required the use of Greek letters of the alphabet for storm names was in 2005. Six Greek letters were used that year, and the season concluded with Zeta.
Delta is also the third major hurricane of the Atlantic season, joining Laura, which struck southwestern Louisiana in late August, and Teddy, which brushed Bermuda on its way to striking Atlantic Canada as a post-tropical cyclone last month.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Hurricane
Dangerous Hurricane Delta to cut path of damage across Yucatan Peninsula
By Adam Douty, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Oct 6, 2020 3:27 PM EDT | Updated Oct 7, 2020 4:27 PM EDT
Only days after a deadly strike from Tropical Storm Gamma, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula is now bearing the wrath of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to cut across the northern part of the province with high winds, torrential rain and dangerous storm surge on Wednesday.
After becoming a hurricane over the Caribbean on Monday evening, Delta rapidly strengthened Tuesday as it exploded from Category 2 strength into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm. On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale a Category 4 storm has maximum sustained winds 130-156 mph (209-251 km/h).
Delta made landfall near Puerto Morelos, Mexico, at 5:45 a.m. CDT, Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The storm was moving northwestward at a brisk 17-mph pace and can undergo weakening while interacting with the Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Delta was about to emerge along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
On Tuesday, Delta peaked as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph during the afternoon and evening hours after undergoing rapid intensification from 40 mph to 110 mph in its first 24 hours as a named storm.
"Extremely warm water and a drop in wind shear allowed Delta to strengthen rapidly over the northwestern Caribbean," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
Wind shear is the increase in wind speed with altitude as well as the sudden change in wind direction from one location to another. Wind shear and changes in the structure of the eye are some of the main challenges in forecasting the overall strength of hurricanes.
AccuWeather forecasters warn that despite weakening prior to landfall the storm will still bring major damage to the northern Yucatan Peninsula before it navigates toward the United States late this week.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Tulum to Dzilam, Mexico as well as the island of Cozumel. Both Tulum and Dzilam are towns located on the coast of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio. In Mexico, a tropical storm warning is in effect for Punta Herrero to Tulum, and Dzilam to Progresso.
Hurricane Delta spinning over the Yucatan Peninsula on Wednesday morning, Oct. 7, 2020. (NOAA/GOES-East)
One of the greatest impacts from Delta across the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula is expected to be damaging wind gusts of 100-120 mph (160-193 km/h) and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 125 mph (201 km/h) through much of Wednesday.
It is possible the strongest winds may be felt in Cancun and surrounding areas.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Winds of this magnitude can produce widespread damage and power outages that could last for days or weeks. Weak structures can be destroyed and even well-built homes and businesses can sustain some damage, including roofs being blown off and walls collapsing.
Even well away from the storm's center, Delta's outer rain bands can produce locally damaging winds in extreme western Cuba.
In addition to destructive winds, Delta is expected to produce flooding rainfall across the western Caribbean from the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula to western Cuba and the Cayman Islands. In the hardest-hit areas, rainfall of 4-8 inches (100-200 mm) and an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches (300 mm) can leading to serious flooding.
Delta is also forecast to unleash a dangerous storm surge of 6-10 feet along the northern coast of the peninsula. A 3- to 6-foot storm surge along the southwestern coast of Cuba and the upper eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula can lead to coastal flooding into Wednesday midday.
The Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba received heavy rain from Tropical Storm Gamma just days ago, so additional rain from Delta can more easily lead to flooding. At least six deaths were blamed on Gamma as the strong tropical storm's heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides.
Conditions in the western Caribbean will improve rapidly on Wednesday evening as Delta pulls away and moves into the Gulf of Mexico. On the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes, Delta is forecast to be a 1 in the western Caribbean and a 2 in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula. This scale, developed by AccuWeather, gives a broader impact from tropical storms and hurricanes on land areas than does the Saffir- Simpson Scale, which is based solely on wind speed.
Related:
This year, Cristobal, as well as every named storm from Edouard through Delta, set early-formation records. Most of the previous record-holders were storms from the 2005 season. Delta from this year knocked off the 25th storm from 2005 that was named Gamma. In 2005, Gamma did not form until Nov. 18.
Delta is the 25th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, which continues at a record pace and even well ahead of the notorious 2005 season. The only other season which required the use of Greek letters of the alphabet for storm names was in 2005. Six Greek letters were used that year, and the season concluded with Zeta.
Delta is also the third major hurricane of the Atlantic season, joining Laura, which struck southwestern Louisiana in late August, and Teddy, which brushed Bermuda on its way to striking Atlantic Canada as a post-tropical cyclone last month.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo