Cyclone Julia has developed into a hurricane near the coast of Nicaragua.
The US hurricane center NHC upgraded “Julia” to a lowest level 1 hurricane (out of 5) on Saturday (local time) as the storm center passed close to the Caribbean island of San Andrés, which belongs to Colombia. Sustained wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour were measured, according to the NHC.
“Julia” is expected to make landfall in Nicaragua overnight (local time) and then lose some strength, but will still reach the Central American country’s Pacific coast as a tropical storm. The NHC warned of heavy rain that could trigger life-threatening flash floods and landslides in Nicaragua, the Colombian islands of San Andrés and Providencia, the rest of Central America and southern Mexico in the coming days. A storm surge would likely cause the water level off Nicaragua to rise up to 1.8 meters above normal.
The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to November. In the past few weeks, two powerful hurricanes, Fiona and Ian, have wreaked havoc in parts of the Caribbean and North America. Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean water. Although their number is not increasing due to climate change, the probability of strong storms is increasing.
