Cold front 21 unleashes torrential rains and frigid winds in Mexico

A colossus of polar air unleashes its fury over the national territory, with torrential rainfall and a historic collapse of the thermometer that promises to dye the highest peaks white.

Publicado 15 diciembre, 2025 el 15 de diciembre a las 18:36 | 4 mins reading |3,031 vistas | por Sofía Ramírez

A Polar Air Giant Descends Over the Nation

It’s time to protect yourself. The warning has sounded and the stage is set for an episode of intense weather. The National Meteorological Service (SMN), technical arm of the National Water Commission (Conagua), issued a crucial statement: the cold front number 21, a titan of icy air, has crossed the atmospheric border and now extends, like an invisible but implacable mantle, over the heart of the Gulf of Mexico. It is not a simple mass of air; It is a messenger of winter that promises to transform the landscape and the thermal sensation of much of the country.

According to the organization’s detailed forecast, this weather system, loaded with a polar air mass, will cover a vast area of the territory with its influence. The north, northeast, center, east and southeast of the Mexican Republic will remain under its dominion. The consequences will be palpable: a drastic drop in temperatures that will make people look for extra shelter, and a winter spectacle in the heights with the fall of snow or sleet crowning the imposing peaks of the volcanoes Cofre de Perote, Pico de Orizaba, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. A reminder of the force of nature against which only preparation is possible.

Regions in the Sight of the Storm: Rains and Unleashed Winds

But the cold is only part of the story. This meteorological phenomenon will act as a trigger for significant hydrometeorological events. The presence of showers and heavy rains is expected in eastern and southeastern states, including the vast Yucatan Peninsula. Attention is especially focused on Veracruz, where intense occasional rains are expected in regions such as the Huasteca Baja, the Totonaca, Los Tuxtlas and the Olmeca. The land will receive a copious discharge of water that could saturate soils and raise levels in rivers and streams.

The situation is worsening in entities such as Puebla (in its regions of Sierra Norte, Sierra Nororiental and Tehuacán-Sierra Negra), Oaxaca (north and east), Tabasco (south) and Chiapas (north and east), where very heavy rains are forecast. For Oaxaca and Chiapas, the combo is even more dangerous: wind with hurricane gusts of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour is expected in the strategic isthmus and Gulf of Tehuantepec, accompanied by formidable waves of 2.5 to 3.5 meters high, a direct threat to navigation and coastal communities.

The fury of the wind will not be limited to the south. The coasts of Tamaulipas and Veracruz will suffer gusts of 50 to 70 km/h and waves of 2 to 3 meters. Meanwhile, on the coasts of Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, the wind will blow between 40 and 60 km/h with waves of 1 to 2 meters, altering the tranquility of the coastline.

Persistence of the Phenomenon and a New Front on the Horizon

The evolution of this system indicates that its influence will continue. For Tuesday, December 16, the cold front will extend over the northwest, center and east of the Gulf of Mexico, keeping the probability of showers and heavy rains high in Tamaulipas and the Yucatan Peninsula. The cold to very cold environment will persist during mornings and nights in the north, northeast and center of the country, with the appearance of frost at dawn in higher altitude areas, a risk for agriculture and livestock.

Finally, the SMN projects that by Wednesday, December 17, cold front 21 will move towards the north of the Gulf, losing its direct influence over Mexico. However, this does not mark the end of the winter saga. The information suggests that a new frontal system is already preparing to settle on the northern and northwest border of Mexican territory, indicating that the cold front season is at its peak and surveillance must be maintained. The population must follow the recommendations of Civil Protection, avoid crossing swollen water channels and heed official warnings to minimize risks.

Ready to face the onslaught of winter? Share this crucial weather information on your social networks so more people are prepared, and explore our site for more weather analysis and forecasts affecting your region.

National

INEHRM becomes a research and teaching center

The INEHRM is transformed into a research and teaching center under the new secretariat.

Publicado 9 hours ago el 1 de julio a las 22:00 | 2 mins reading

Transformation of the INEHRM

President Claudia Sheinbaum signed the decree that transfers the National Institute of Historical Studies of the Revolutions of Mexico (INEHRM) to the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI). The institute becomes a decentralized public body with an academic focus.

Rosaura Ruiz Gutiérrez, head of SECIHTI, explained that the new scheme will train specialists in history to strengthen national capacities in social sciences and humanities.

Felipe Arturo Ávila Espinosa, director of the INEHRM, explained that the study plans will link historical knowledge with social, economic, political and cultural problems of the country, and will address the needs of the Federal Public Administration.

Hybrid educational offer

The offer will include bachelor’s degrees in History, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Public Administration and Good Government. In postgraduate studies, master’s degrees will be added in Mexican Humanism, Gender and Feminism Studies, and Social Movements and Rescue of Historical Memory. There will also be specialties in Political Communication and History Teaching.

Graduates will cover topics such as agrarianism, health, migration, artificial intelligence, violence and human rights.

Headquarters and call

The new headquarters will be at 80 Guatemala Street, Historic Center of Mexico City. The first admission call will be launched in July, and classes will begin in September.

National

Prosecutor’s Office grants protection measures to victim of family violence

The Morelos Prosecutor's Office issued protection measures after a complaint of family violence against the former director of Pemex.

Publicado 9 hours ago el 1 de julio a las 21:20 | 2 mins reading

The Morelos Attorney General’s Office activated protection measures in favor of Felicia Jiménez Lavie, who filed a complaint for family violence against her husband, Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former director of Pemex. This was reported by prosecutor Fernando Blumenkron Escobar.

The measures, the official explained, will be available when the victim requires them. The complaint was filed in Mexico City and the Women’s Secretariat of the Government of Mexico directly follows up on the case.

Investigation in progress

Until now, Jiménez Lavie has not gone to the local Public Ministry to contribute more elements to the investigation folder. This was initiated ex officio last Friday, June 26, after a video was broadcast with images of attacks against the woman.

Blumenkron assured that the portfolio continues its integration. “The proceedings have not stopped and we are going to continue to guarantee justice for the victim,” he said. In addition, he indicated that there is coordination with the Women’s Secretariat and the capital’s Prosecutor’s Office, under the care route for victims of family violence.

Among the actions carried out, the Morelos Prosecutor’s Office seeks to locate the address where the physical assault occurred, to carry out expert reports in accordance with the images of the video broadcast by the victim herself.

National

Trump does not extend T-MEC: Mexico faces annual review

US rejects automatic extension of the T-MEC; validity is reduced to 10 years with annual review.

Publicado 10 hours ago el 1 de julio a las 20:47 | 2 mins reading

Rejection of automatic extension

The United States decided not to automatically renew the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada (T-MEC) for 16 years. This reduces its validity to a decade with an annual review. The measure generated concern among Mexican legislators.

Ricardo Monreal, coordinator of Morena in San Lázaro, explained that the treaty remains in force for another 10 years, but subject to evaluation each year. He noted that the United States presented 54 observations, including issues such as the vaquita porpoise and piracy. Mexico, for its part, raised 13 points, including clause 232 on tariffs.

“Only it will be reviewed year after year, but the Treaty is not finished, it continues for another 10 years because that is how it was signed six years ago,” declared Monreal.

The legislator warned that Donald Trump has been a constant critic of the USMCA and called for considering the benefits it has brought to the three nations.

Reactions of the opposition

Héctor Saúl Téllez, vice economic coordinator of the PAN, considered that the US position shows a lack of strategic anticipation on the part of the federal government.

“The US decision not to automatically extend the USMCA for 16 years in today’s review is not the end of the treaty, but it does reveal a lack of strategic anticipation by the federal government,” he stated.

Téllez recalled that Article 34.7 of the agreement had been known since 2018. Reaching July 1 without a clean extension represents a risk that, he said, should have been avoided.

The annual review will allow adjustments, but uncertainty about the future of regional trade persists. Mexico and Canada will seek to maintain the stability of the agreement for the next ten years.