07.01.10

Hurricane Alex at Landfall

Posted in Tropical Weather, Weather News at 2:10 pm by Rebekah

Hurricane Alex made landfall at 9 pm central time last night.

I won’t rehash the details, but a couple of highlights are that Alex made landfall as a strong Category 2, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (Category 3 has winds of at least 111 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 947 mb.  Only Category 4 Hurricane Audrey of 1957 had a lower pressure in the month of June, at 946 mb.

If you’re interested in seeing how other countries rate hurricane strength, I posted a bit on this in March.

According to a National Weather Service Brownsville public information statement, as of 9 pm last night (when the hurricane made landfall in Mexico), Brownsville had received a maximum of 6.76 inches of rain and had experienced peak winds of 66 mph.  A couple of Mexican states have reported 24-hour rain totals of around 12 inches.  At least 6 tornadoes have been reported along the south Texas coast as a result of Alex.

Tropical Storm Alex is now moving over east central Mexico, and is expected to dissipate over the higher terrain by tonight; however, heavy rain, flash floods, and landslides will still be possible in the area for the next few days.

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