Raymond arrives to ruin the weekend (and possibly more)
It seems that relaxed weekend plans, like “Netflix and chill”, are going to become “air raid shelter and pray”. Just when we thought that the most exciting thing of the day would be deciding whether to order sushi or tacos, the universe, in its eternal sense of humor, sends us Raymond, the tropical storm that has just formed south-southwest of Guerrero with every intention of being the protagonist of our Instagram stories for the next three days. The National Meteorological Service (SMN), our official dealer of bad climate news, has already given the report: prepare for torrential rains in at least eight entities. Basically, if you live in the middle of the country, your umbrella is going to need an umbrella.
To give you an idea of the proximity of this unwanted visitor, Raymond is only 125 kilometers from Técpan de Galeana. It’s the same distance you’d drive to see your favorite artist in concert, but instead of a show, what you get is heavy rainfall and the knowledge that your road trip will be a logistical nightmare. The system is advancing with enviable determination towards the west-northwest at 22 km/h, with maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h and gusts of up to 95. In other words, it is not just rain; It’s a free styling event for your hair, as long as “windblown style” is what you’re looking for.
The climatic horror combo: Raymond and his low-pressure friend
As if a meteorological phenomenon were not enough, Raymond decided to make a collab. It’s teaming up with a low pressure area in the Gulf of Mexico to create the most sinister musical duo of the year. Together, they promise torrential rains in Guerrero, Michoacán and Veracruz. These states have the full concert. For Colima, Oaxaca and Chiapas, the plan is for intense rains (the equivalent of the opening act), and for the center, southeast, Campeche and Quintana Roo, heavy rains. In short, it is very likely that in the coming days your “feed” will be filled more with videos of streets turned into rivers than with memes.
And in case anyone in La Paz, Baja California Sur, was planning a Saturday at the beach, Fabián Vázquez Romaña, the coordinator of the SMN, has news: Raymond could reach its shores on Saturday afternoon, although it has already been degraded to a tropical depression. Basically, it will be the tired and less dramatic version of the phenomenon, but still wanting to get everything wet. For this reason, the Conagua brigades are already deployed in Sonora, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Baja California Sur and Guerrero. It’s the equivalent of cleaning crews coming backstage after a big concert, but preparing for chaos instead of cleaning it up.
The real risk here, beyond canceling that dinner outing you were looking forward to, is flash floods and overflows. Conagua and Civil Protection have reinforced surveillance of dams and rivers in several states, especially where reservoirs are already at 90% of their capacity. It’s like when your cell phone reaches 10% battery and you start to panic, but on a state level and with the potential to flood entire towns. Among the dams that are on the strictest watch list are San Lázaro, Laguna de Amela, El Caracol and La Calera, to name a few. They are the celebrities of this hurricane season, but no one wants their autograph.
There is also a fleet of rivers under close surveillance: Armería, Lerma, Balsas, Duero, Verde, Ameca, Ostuta and Cazones. The latter, the Cazones River, is already causing something to talk about with reports of overflows in Tecolutla, Álamo and Temapache, Veracruz. We could say that he is going beyond “main character”.
So that there is no doubt that this is something out of the ordinary, the rains of recent days and those that are forecast will exceed the normal weather for October. A clear example was the rainfall on October 8, with accumulated amounts of 320 mm in the southeast of Oaxaca. To put it in perspective, it’s like weeks’ worth of rain falling on you in a single day. It’s the kind of record you don’t want to beat, unless your goal is to practice swimming in your own living room.
Anyway, the situation is more complicated than deciphering your ex’s messages. The recommendation is obvious, but we repeat it with our dramatic touch: stay informed through official sources, have your emergency kit on hand (water, food, batteries, and the portable charger, because without TikTok we will not survive), and avoid risk areas. It’s not about being alarmist, but about being smarter than the weather. And above all, remember: sharing verified information is for heroes without capes; spread panic, like soap opera villains.
Ready for the flood? Share this information with your friends and followers so that no one gets an unpleasant surprise. And if you want to always be one step ahead of the weather, explore more of our content so you don’t miss any details.
