An unusually heavy rainy season for Mexico by Matt Taylor
A state of emergency was declared across a number of Mexican states on Thursday after an unusually heavy rainy season lead to widespread floods. At least 20 people have been killed since the rainy season began at the beginning of June, with thousands more having to evacuate their homes. On Thursday, in the central Mexican town of Hidalgo, the Rancho Neuvo Dam overflowed, flooding hundreds of nearby homes.
The rainy season has been unusually heavy so far, and only a month ago many southern regions were badly hit by heavy rain. Most of the rain during the rainy season occurs from sharp thunderstorms, but over the past few weeks persistent rain has resulted from moist air moving in off the Gulf.
So far this year there has been 184 intense storms registered in Mexico, and this above average trend is forecast to continue for the rest of the year. Over the next few days further thunderstorms look set to move across the south of the country, meaning for many the worst may not yet be over.
