Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The balmy 30C (86F) to 35C (95) degree weather recorded around the Cancun Riviera Maya region is forecast to come to an end. At least for a few days. Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) says a large mass of polar air is heading our way.
The latest bout of bad weather that has left much of the U.S. under snow with strong winds and shut highways is heading for Mexico. The large system of polar air is being pushed south by an even larger mass of Arctic air.
Mexico’s Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) says that polar air will start affecting peninsula thermometers by Sunday.
The effects will be felt ahead of its official arrival as strong north winds blow the cold air south.
The mass of polar air heading our way is cold front number 37. The SMN says on Saturday, cold front number 37 will continue to be driven by an Arctic air mass across northern and northeastern Mexico.
It will create heavy, isolated showers in San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Hidalgo, and Veracruz, and scattered showers to Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Puebla.
Temperatures will drop across northern, northeastern, eastern, central and southeastern Mexico due to “a strong northerly wind event”. This wind event will extend throughout Sunday to the rest of the Gulf of Mexico coast, the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec and the Yucatan Peninsula.
The SMN warns the heat wave residents have been enjoying over the past week “is expected to end by Sunday.”
On Sunday, “cold front number 37 will move across the Gulf of Mexico, bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall to eastern and southeastern Mexico. The Arctic air mass associated with the front will cause a drop in temperature in northern, northeastern, eastern, central, and southeastern Mexico,” they reported.
As well, residents can expect a “Norte” event with wind gusts of 80 to 100 km/h in Tamaulipas, Veracruz, the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec, and gusts of 30 to 40 km/h with 50 to 70 km/h during the night and early morning hours of Monday in Tabasco, Campeche and Yucatan.
On Monday, cold front 37 will move over the Yucatan Peninsula, causing heavy to very heavy rainfall in the southeast of the country, while its Arctic air mass will continue to cause a drop in temperatures in the north, northeast, east, center and southeast of Mexico.
Strong north winds will continue with gusts of 80 to 100 km/h in the Isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec, wind gusts of 60 to 80 km/h in Veracruz and gusts of 50 to 70 km/h in Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
The last mass of polar air that hit the Cancun, Riviera Maya region February 1 left some residents with wake-up temperatures of 4.2C (39F).
