Riviera Maya, Q.R. — As of early Monday morning, Hurricane Milton, now a major category 4 storm, was located less than 240 kilometers west-northwest of Progreso, Yucatan.
Milton is forecast to pass the top of the Yucatan Peninsula starting later today, creating strong winds, heavy rain and high waves. As a category 4 hurricane, authorities report Milton already has maximum sustained winds of 195 kms/h, gusts of 240 kms/h while moving east-southeast at 13 km/h.
Milton started Monday as a category 2 and quickly grew into category 4 strength by the early morning. Hurricane Milton developed from a Tropical Storm into a category 4 hurricane in two days after passing over the Yucatan Peninsula as a disturbance last week and entering the Gulf of Mexico.
This current system that has developed into Milton began in the same area in the Caribbean Sea as what eventually developed in Hurricane Helene in September.
Due to Milton’s strength and sheer size, the hurricane will be felt in varying degrees along a majority of the Peninsula including Cancun. While the northwest region of the Peninsula is under a hurricane warning, Cancun remains under a Tropical Storm warning/watch.
Quintana Roo State Civil Protection reported Monday that due to its wide circulation, Milton “will cause very heavy rains with intense periods in Campeche and Yucatan, and very heavy rains (50 to 75 mm) in Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco and Quintana Roo.
“In addition, wind gusts of 100 to 120 km/h and waves of 3 to 5 meters high and the formation of waterspouts on the coasts of Campeche (north) and Yucatan, and gusts of 60 to 80 km/h with waves of 1 to 3 meters high on the coasts of Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, and Quintana Roo,” are likely.
According to AccuWeather, the city of Cancun could begin feeling the effects of Milton’s passing as early as 7:00 p.m. Monday and continue into the early morning hours of Wednesday.
State authorities maintain a hurricane prevention zone from Celestún, Yucatan to Cabo Catoche (Isla Holbox), Quintana Roo. A tropical storm prevention zone is in effect from Celestún to Río Lagartos, Yucatan and a surveillance zone from Río Lagartos, Yuc., to Cabo Catoche, Q.R., while a tropical storm prevention zone is being maintained from Río Lagartos, Yucatan to Cancún, Quintana Roo.
While the Civil Protection storm watch is in effect to Cancun, the NOAA has forecast winds from the outer bands of Milton to reach as far down as Tulum.
AccuWeather, on the other hand, does not forecast Milton’s winds to reach as far south. With the storm’s updated trajectory, the Yucatan Peninsula is back on storm watch. Major Hurricane Milton will likely begin passing Quintana Roo late Monday.