Gusts of up to 330 km/h: Hurricane “Otis” reaches Acapulco

As the US Hurricane Center in Miami (NHC) and the Mexican Weather Service announced on Wednesday night, the storm reached sustained wind speeds of almost 270 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 330 kilometers per hour. In the last few hours it had developed from a tropical storm into an extremely dangerous hurricane.

There is a risk of “catastrophic damage”.

Nothing was initially known about the effects on land. When “Otis” hit the coast, it was still night in Mexico. According to the NHC, the hurricane has the potential to cause “catastrophic” damage. Authorities in the state of Guerrero had previously called on the population to take precautionary measures. Heavy and persistent rain often causes landslides and floods in southern Mexico, which can cause fatalities and significant damage.

Acapulco, around four hours’ drive south of Mexico City, is one of the most famous and traditional Mexican seaside resorts. However, in recent years he has suffered greatly from the violence of the drug cartels. During Hurricane Pauline (also known as Paulina) in October 1997, hundreds of people drowned in floodwaters in Acapulco.

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean water. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms. A hurricane is defined as a wind speed of 119 kilometers per hour. Hurricane season begins on May 15th in the Pacific and June 1st in the Atlantic. It ends on November 30th in both regions.

The strength of hurricanes is measured according to a scale developed by meteorologists Herbert Saffir and Robert Simpson: A Category 1 hurricane reaches speeds of up to 153 kilometers per hour. Level 2 applies up to speeds of 177, level 3 up to 208 and level 4 up to 251. Devastating damage is threatened by a hurricane of the highest category 5, which rotates with a wind speed of more than 251 kilometers per hour. Hurricanes often gain strength as they move over the sea. They quickly lose their strength over land because there is no supply of warm, moist air masses.

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