UPDATE 1-Hurricane Wilma ‘clobbering’ Mexico’s Yucatan
Massive Hurricane Wilma clobbered Mexico’s Caribbean beach resorts on Saturday, threatening heavy damage and loss of life as it meandered slowly into the Yucatan peninsula.
Winds of 125 miles an hour (220 kph) howled in off the sea, knocking over houses, upturning trees and trapping thousands of tourists in cramped shelters. The storm was downgraded to a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, from a Category 4 on Friday and a record-breaking Category 5 earlier this week.
The calm of the storm’s eye settled over Playa del Carmen early in the day but the storm’s north eye wall was “really clobbering northeastern Yucatan,” the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT) report on its web site at www.nhc.noaa.gov.
Metal sheets flew off the roofs of homes in Playa del Carmen and spun dangerously through the streets like Frisbees.
The stalled storm battered the coastline for more than 24 hours and was due to hang over the area until at least Saturday night, raising the risk of disaster.
Authorities said there were no reports of deaths so far.
More: today.reuters.com
Local Couples Stranded In Hurricane-Ravaged Mexico
Hurricane Wilma has caused the deaths of at least seven people on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.
The storm is expected to pick up speed and strength on Sunday before it sideswipes Cuba on its way to Florida.
And some Tri-state families are feeling the effects of Hurricane Wilma, too.
They have loved ones stranded in the hardest hit areas.
It's been the honeymoon from hell for several local couples in Cozumel which has been battered the island for two days.
Eight people from the Florence area include the bride and groom as well as their matron
UPDATE 5-Fierce Hurricane Wilma threatens Mexico, Fla.
Hurricane Wilma became the fiercest Atlantic hurricane ever seen as it churned toward western Cuba and Mexico's Yucatan peninsula on Wednesday, and threatened densely populated Florida after killing 10 people in Haiti.
The season's record-tying 21st storm, fueled by the warm waters of the northwest Caribbean Sea, strengthened with unprecedented speed into a Category 5 hurricane, the top rank on the five-step scale of hurricane intensity.
Oil and gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico were expected to escape this storm but Florida's orange groves were at risk.
Early Wednesday, a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane measured
UPDATE 4-Tourists flee huge Hurricane Wilma in Mexico
Roaring waves pounded Mexican beach resorts on Thursday and thousands of tourists were ready to be evacuated as powerful Hurricane Wilma ploughed through the Caribbean on its way to Florida.
Cuba evacuated 100,000 people and residents of southern Florida stocked up on drinking water and gas to prepare for Wilma, which spun off the coasts of Mexico and Belize packing winds of around 145 mph (230 kph).
Described by forecasters as extremely dangerous, Wilma killed 10 people in mudslides in Haiti earlier in the week.
Expensive beachfront hotels all along Mexico's "Maya Riviera" coast emptied of
Wilma pounds Mexico’s Yucatan
Hurricane Wilma pounded Mexico’s Caribbean coast on Saturday, destroying homes and flooding beach resorts as it meandered slowly over the Yucatan peninsula.
Winds of 120 miles an hour knocked over houses, uprooted trees and kept thousands of tourists in cramped shelters.
The storm has been downgraded to a Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale— but its winds and rains were still powerful enough to cause massive damage and threaten lives. Emergency forces have reported no deaths so far.
The stalled storm has battered Playa del Carmen, Cancun and diving centre Cozumel for the past 36 hours and was
Wilma may become hurricane, heads for Gulf of Mexico
Four of seven major weather models predict Tropical Storm Wilma, which could become a hurricane by Tuesday, will head for the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Earlier Monday morning, most of the models forecast the storm would crash into the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico or Belize later this week.
By late morning, most of the forecasts showed the storm would turn north toward western Cuba and Florida's Gulf Coast.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center still forecast the storm would graze the northeastern tip of the Yucatan and enter the Gulf of Mexico where it could
UPDATE 4-Hurricane Wilma aims at Florida after Mexico chaos
Hurricane Wilma thundered toward Florida on Sunday after devastating Mexico's Caribbean resorts with floodwaters and wild winds that smashed thousands of homes and killed at least seven people.
While residents of the Florida Keys hunkered down for battering winds and a powerful surge of floodwaters, dazed tourists waded through knee-deep water in the streets of Mexico's beach resort Cancun to seek food and water after three nights in damp shelters without electricity.
At one point the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, Wilma weakened as it hammered Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula
TUI cancels trips to Mexico due to Hurricane Wilma, 300 customers affected
TUI AG said it has cancelled all trips to Yucatan, Mexico, until Oct 25 on account of Hurricane Wilma, affecting 300 customers.
It said it will try to offer its customers alternative destinations.
The tour operator currently has around 1,000 guests in Mexico, who will be transported back to Germany as soon as weather conditions allow.
Source: forbes.com
Wilma slams Mexico, threatens Florida
In the early afternoon on Friday, Oct. 21, 2005, Hurricane Wilma was moving slowly northwest with the eye 35 miles off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula. The Category 4 hurricane is currently packing 145 mph winds with higher-speed gusts. Wilma is expected to turn northeast toward southern Florida while dropping as much as 40 inches of rain in parts of Cuba along the way.
With Wilma, the Atlantic Ocean's 21st named storm this year, the 2005 season has tied the record for the most named storms in a year. Pressure readings on
In the early afternoon on Friday, Oct. 21, 2005, Hurricane Wilma was moving slowly northwest with the eye 35 miles off the coast of Cozumel, Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula. The Category 4 hurricane is currently packing 145 mph winds with higher-speed gusts. Wilma is expected to turn northeast toward southern Florida while dropping as much as 40 inches of rain in parts of Cuba along the way.
With Wilma, the Atlantic Ocean's 21st named storm this year, the 2005 season has tied the record for the most named storms in a year. Pressure readings on Wednesday broke the record
UPDATE 5-Hurricane Wilma lashes Mexico's "Riviera"
Hurricane Wilma's ferocious winds battered Mexico's famed Caribbean beach resorts on Friday, knocking over trees and signposts and trapping thousands of nervous tourists in cramped shelters.
Powerful waves swallowed up white sand beaches in the popular resort of Cancun and howling winds tore across the island of Cozumel, a favorite of scuba divers and cruise ship passengers.
All along the "Maya Riviera", sturdy tropical trees danced in the wild wind and others lay toppled in empty and flooded streets. Electricity was cut and signposts were sent spinning through the air.
"I'm okay, I'm okay -- don't worry," Italian
