Hurricane Franklin slams into central Mexico
theweathernetwork.com
Thursday, August 10, 2017, 7:31 AM - Hurricane Franklin targeted central Mexico with its full power overnight, less than a day after crossing the threshold to become the first full-fledged hurricane of the 2017 Atlantic season.
The storm made landfall in the coastal state of Veracruz, with winds of around 120 km/h, qualifying as a low-end Category 1 storm. Earlier in the week, while still at tropical storm status, Franklin tracked across the Yucatan Peninsula before entering the Gulf of Mexico and re-strengthening.
Franklin has weakened to tropical storm status, though with winds still strong at 110 km/h at last report.
"Additional rapid weakening is expected as Franklin moves across eastern Mexico, and the cyclone is likely to dissipate late Thursday or early Friday," the U.S. National Hurricane Center says.
As it passes through the densely populated centre of Mexico, it is expected to bring some 100-200 mm of rain, but the NHC says local amounts could reach 400 mm, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. There have not yet been any reports of deaths or injuries.
Franklin is the sixth named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season, and the first to become a full-fledged hurricane. The last tropical storm to form, Emily, also rapidly achieved tropical statement in July not far from the Gulf coast of Florida, bringing extreme rain as it tracked across the peninsula.
SOURCE: National Hurricane Center
