According to the latest storm news from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Cristina strengthened from Tropical Depression Three-E and was named on the afternoon of June 8 (local time), when it was located about 145km west-southwest of Managua, Nicaragua.
Currently, Cristina has the strongest sustained wind of about 65 km/h, moving northeast at a speed of only about 5 km/h. The storm's eye is located about 160km west-northwest of Managua.
It is forecasted that in the coming days, storm Cristina will continue to move slowly along the Central American coast before gradually shifting direction to the northwest. Storm forecasters predict that the storm is likely to gradually weaken from midweek.
However, Cristina could still cause heavy rain and life-threatening flash floods in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala by mid-week. Nicaragua and El Salvador have issued tropical storm warnings.
The total forecast rainfall is commonly from 100-200mm, while some areas may record rainfall up to 300mm before midweek.
Meanwhile, the NHC confirmed that Hurricane Boris dissipated on the morning of June 9 in southern Mexico.
Boris strengthened into a tropical storm in the eastern Pacific on the morning of June 8 with winds of about 65 km/h, but quickly weakened after making landfall on the same day.
Although it has dissipated, Hurricane Boris's circulation may still continue to cause flash floods and bring additional rainfall from 25-100mm to the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca in Mexico.
Sea surface temperatures off the coast of Mexico and the vast area of the Pacific Ocean are currently significantly higher than the multi-year average. Seawater is forecast to continue to heat up in the coming weeks, creating more favorable conditions for the formation and development of tropical storms.
