Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Cold front 16 will be to blame for several days of rain and cool temperatures forecast for this week. A bout of cold Canadian air heading toward the Yucatan Peninsula could create rain for the region as early as Wednesday.
Mexico’s National Meteorological Service (SMN) says a low-pressure trough in the southeast and the influx of moisture from the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea will cause scattered showers and thunderstorms in the western states including the Yucatan Peninsula.
The rain could start as early as Wednesday afternoon, continuing for Thursday and Friday, which is forecast to be the most wet and windy day of the week. For Wednesday and Thursday, between 5mm and 25mm of rain is possible for Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo.
However, on Friday, showers with isolated heavy rains of 25mm to 50mm is likely for areas of Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Tabasco and Quintana Roo.
According to the SMN (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional), on Wednesday cold front number 16 will be reinforced by a mass of polar maritime air from northwestern Canada.
It will move slowly across the northeast and east of the country, interacting with a low-pressure trough extending over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and southeastern Mexico. This will cause rainfall and a significant drop in temperatures.
On Thursday, cold front 16 will extend over the Yucatan Peninsula and the southwest Gulf of Mexico, continuing to interact with a low-pressure trough in southeastern Mexico.
This interaction will generate intense isolated rains in areas including Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. The mass of polar maritime air driving the front will maintain the “Norte” event with wind gusts of 40 to 60 km/h and waves of 1.0 to 2.0 meters on the coasts of Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo (north).
Along with wind and rain, “cold to very cold conditions in the north, northeast, east and center of the country,” are forecast.
On Friday, cold front 16 will extend as a stationary front over the Gulf of Mexico, north of the Yucatan Peninsula. It will continue interacting with a low-pressure trough in southeastern Mexico, maintaining the probability of showers and isolated heavy rains.
Meanwhile, the polar air mass associated with the front will modify its thermal characteristics throughout the day, favoring a gradual rise in temperatures. However, it will maintain northerly winds with gusts of 50 to 70 km/h along the coasts of southern Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo, diminishing during the afternoon along with high waves.
