The latest storm news on June 29 from the US National Hurricane Center said that tropical depression No. 2 that has formed off the east coast of Mexico could strengthen into storm Barry on June 29.
The newly formed depression is about 160km east-northeast of Veracruz, Mexico and 338km southeast of Tuxpan. This low pressure formed on June 28 and is becoming more organized as it moves into Campeche Bay.
A hurricane fighter aircraft of the US Air Force and its crew flew into the depression system on June 28 and experienced maximum sustained winds of 48 km/h.
The low pressure is forecast to move slowly west-northwest and move into the area between Tampico and Tuxpan on the night of June 29. Mexico has issued a tropical storm warning along the coast from Boca de Catan to Tecolutla.
Forecasters at the US National Hurricane Center said that tropical depression No. 2 will strengthen before making landfall.
Whether it becomes a tropical storm Barry or not, the system will bring heavy rainfall of 6.2mm to 152.4mm, with maximum rainfall reaching 254mm across the states of Veracruz, San Luis Potosi and Tamaulipas of Mexico. The US National Hurricane Center warned that heavy rain could lead to flash flooding in the area.
"Whether the storm forms or not, localized heavy rains are still occurring in parts of Guatemala and southeastern Mexico, and will continue for the next few days," the US National Hurricane Center noted.
When making landfall, Barry is expected to quickly dissipate due to the rugged terrain in central Mexico.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will last until the end of November. Hurricane Andrea is the first storm of this year's storm season when it formed on June 24. The typhoon season typically peaks in mid-August to mid-October.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, an off-Mexico system is forecast to strengthen into a tropical depression or tropical storm on June 29, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
The system, a few hundred kilometers south-southwest of Tehuantepec Bay, is expected to bring heavy rain to parts of Central America and southern Mexico.
The center said that weather conditions appear favorable for the development of the tropical depression. The system is forecast to move slowly west-northwest off the southern coast of Mexico.
If it strengthens into a storm, it will be the sixth storm of the Pacific hurricane season and will be named Flossie. The Pacific typhoon season began on May 15 and also ends in late November.
