Karl weakens as it approaches Mexican coast
Karl was the 11th named storm of the season in the Atlantic Basin, but it poses no threat to the US.
Karl weakens as it approaches Mexican coast
Karl weakened to a tropical depression Friday ahead of landfall along the southern coast of Mexico. Forecasters were still expecting gusty winds and heavy rain through Sunday morning.
Karl weakened to a tropical depression Friday ahead of landfall along the southern coast of Mexico.
Forecasters were still expecting gusty winds and heavy rain through Sunday morning.
Karl's slow movement will bring the potential for mudslides in the mountainous regions southeast of Mexico's Veracruz state.
This latest tropical cyclone will be the second to impact Central America in less than a week's time and follows on the heels of Hurricane Julia, which impacted countries south of Mexico last weekend and earlier this week.
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A blocking ridge of high pressure prevented Karl from directly impacting the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The Atlantic hurricane season has less two months remaining, so it's not unusual for the tropics to remain active in October. The month ranks as the third-most active (behind September and August) for tropical activity in the Atlantic Basin, typically producing about two named storms each year, one of which becomes a hurricane.
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Where is Karl?
Karl is centered over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and is less than 75 miles west of Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico.
As of Saturday morning, the cyclone had maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and is moving southwest at 5 mph.
Due to Karl's weakening, all Tropical Storm Warnings were canceled but the threat of heavy rain continues.
(FOX Weather)
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What are the impacts of Karl?
Karl is expected to bring gusty to the coast of southern Mexico.
Additionally, between 2 and 5 inches of rain is likely across portions of Mexico's Veracruz, Tabasco, northern Chiapas and northern Oaxaca states through Sunday morning, with isolated amounts as high as 10 inches possible in some areas.
The FOX Forecast Center says this rainfall could cause flash flooding, as well as mudslides in the higher terrain.
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What else is brewing in the Atlantic?
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical disturbance off the western coast of Africa, but the system is fairly disorganized.
Some slow development is possible next week as environmental conditions become more favorable for development.
The NHC believes the tropical disturbance has a low chance of development over the next five days.
(FOX Weather)
Whether or not development occurs, the tropical disturbance is expected to stay harmlessly out over portions of the eastern Atlantic.
The Atlantic Basin hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.