Raymond, the stormy guest that no one asked for
It seems that the Pacific Ocean decided that the rainy season was getting too boring and has sent us to Raymond, the tropical storm that walks off our coasts with the elegance of an elephant in a china shop. Meanwhile, poor Priscilla, her meteorological sister, discreetly dissipated to the north of Baja California, probably tired of so much competition for media attention. How convenient, right? One storm leaves to make room for another, like in an atmospheric reality show.
Rain, wind and coastal chaos: the destructive trio
The National Meteorological Service, those scientific fortune tellers who tell us what we are already feeling when the wind tears off our roof, announces with its usual optimism that Raymond will give us heavy rains in Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán and Guerrero. In case anyone had beach plans, know that the waves will reach heights worthy of a disaster movie: up to four meters. Perfect for surfing, except that it also includes wind gusts of 80 km/h that would probably send you flying to Oz.
And what exactly is Raymond doing right now? According to experts (who have much more expensive radars than our umbrella), at 06:00 its center of circulation was 95 km southwest of Punta San Telmo, Michoacán. It is moving west-northwest at 22 km/h, speed enough to cause problems but not so fast that you cannot enjoy the landscape it is altering. It maintains maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h with gusts of 110 km/h, enough to ruin your hairstyle and probably your day.
Prevention and surveillance: when roles rule more than common sense
The National Water Commission, in its eternal coordination with the United States National Hurricane Center (because apparently we need international validation to confirm that it is raining a lot), has established two areas of special meteorological interest. On the one hand, a prevention zone that extends from Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, to Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco. Basically, an area where it is suggested not to plan picnics or beach days.
On the other hand, they maintain a surveillance zone for Baja California Sur, specifically from Los Barriles to Santa Fe. This translates as: “prepare, but not as much as the other states, because we are still not sure how much chaos Raymond will cause there.” It’s like when your mother tells you “be careful” without specifying exactly what, leaving you with the existential doubt of whether the danger is minimal or apocalyptic.
Meanwhile, on dry land, citizens respond to these alerts with traditional strategies: from those who tie their car with miraculous ropes to those who decide that it is the perfect time to test if their house is really waterproof. Social networks are already full of videos of streets turned into rivers and trees doing impressive tricks, because what better time for viral content than a natural disaster?
The most ironic thing is that, despite all this modern technology and early warning systems, we still react basically the same as our ancestors: looking at the sky with concern and rushing to buy candles and cans of tuna as if the apocalypse were a real possibility. Raymond probably doesn’t even know what a stir he’s causing, happy in his meteorological existence, spinning and moving as if he were the center of the universe. And perhaps, these days, it is.
So there we have it: another tropical cyclone named after a person that comes to remind us who really rules the planet. While meteorologists draw their maps with arrows and isobars, and authorities issue statements full of technicalities, the average citizen wonders if he should have bought that inflatable boat he saw on sale last week. Because in the end, among so much prediction and protocol, the only thing that is certain is that Raymond will pass, leaving his signature of destruction and rain, and we will continue here, drying out and telling anecdotes for the following generations.
Did you like this sarcastic tour of Raymond’s career?Share this article on your social networks so that more people can enjoy our peculiar meteorological approach and explore more content related to natural phenomena on our website. Because laughing at climate adversity is almost as therapeutic as having good home insurance.




