On Tuesday July 25, tropical wave number 19 led to the creation of a squall and heavy showers in Yucatán, which caused Merida streets to flood; trees, poles and billboards to fall; traffic lights to cease functioning, and a large area of the Centro to experience power outages.
Additionally, due to thunderstorms and intense gusts of wind, a 5-meter-tree fell on a street. It tore down telephone wires and knocked down three poles –one of which fell on a vehicle — in the neighborhood Emiliano Zapata Norte; the same situation took place in the colony Miguel Alemán. In other sectors of the city, there were record gusts of wind of more than 60 kilometers per hour that caused fear among citizens, as there were not only heavy rains and lightning activity, but also a windstorm. In total, 19 trees and 2 telephone poles were knocked down.
The National Weather Service reported that the effects of the tropical wave will remain until at least through Wednesday in the Peninsula. According to Javier Antonio Chan Carrillo, expert of the Meteorological Observatory of Merida, agency from the CONAGUA (National Water Commission), the squall’s precipitation’s intensity was of 31.3 millimeters in the southeast of the city. In that sector, the windstorm reached 56.2 kilometers per hour.
Unfortunately, due to the weather, there will be a noticeable increase in mosquitoes in all Mérida. The Ministry of Health said that this is attributable to the rains and that the fumigation campaigns will not be suspended.