The advance of tropical cyclone “Julia” that in hours will make landfall in the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, in the north of the Colombian Caribbean Sea, under the form of a hurricane, it generated a high alert in that area yen Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, where it is expected to continue its course.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC, for its acronym in English) and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), of Colombia, assure that “Julia” travels at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, with sustained winds of 65.
Experts predict that in hours the wind speed is 119 kilometers per hour or more, with destruction capacityaccording to the Ansa agency.
Tropical Storm “JULIA” is born High Probability of becoming a Hurricane! Tourists like swimming on beaches without seriously welcoming the measures!@gusgomez1701 @NewsCaracol @NewsOne @RCN newspic.twitter.com/CJsG9MGQ8d
— Everth Hawkins Sjogreen (@EVERTHHAWKINS) October 7, 2022
The CNH warned that the rains over the weekend could cause “flash floods and mudslides” that threaten life in Central America, specified the AFP agency.
Saint Andrew
Everth Hawkins, Governor of San Andres, announced at a press conference that the island would enter the curfew, asked bathers to go to their hotels and officials prepare for the worst, while announcing the opening of several shelters.
“We have taken measures, we have machinery available. Firefighters are pruning trees and others. We are making the suggestions that we must make in order to overcome this phenomenon in the hours that we have left,” Hawkins warned.
? Attention: declared tropical storm Julia ?
In the framework of the press conference from Providencia, tropical depression # 13 is now tropical storm Julia.
We ask the communities to be attentive to the indications of the authorities.
Join? https://t.co/w4QC4N21eLpic.twitter.com/CPJDMO4VF0— Ideam Colombia (@IDEAMColombia) October 7, 2022
The regional president asked the Civil Aeronautics suspend commercial flights to the islandsdue to the emergency and the arrival of hundreds of tourists who bought rest plans in advance in this short vacation season.
The force temporarily suspended civil air operations at the Gustavo Rojas Pinilla de San Andrés and El Embrujo de Providencia airports, from 6 a.m. tomorrow until noon on Sunday.
The imminent passage of the climatic phenomenon through the islands comes at one of the most important commercial moments for the archipelago, since it coincides with a short vacation period that primary and secondary schools grant to their students on this date.
Yolanda González, director of Ideam asked the inhabitants of the archipelago “to be attentive to the information issued by their Institute”
In this sense, the specialist warned the authorities and inhabitants of the continental departments on the Caribbean Sea to remain on alert due to the imminent increase in rains and the possible overflow of rivers.
Nicaragua
For its part, the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (Ineter), estimated that the cyclone could be entering its territory between Saturday night and Sunday morning, Vice President Rosario Murillo reported.
The eye of the hurricane is expected to impact between the communities of Prinzapolka and Sandy Bay Sirpi, on the Caribbean coast, and generate rain in the northern departments of Jinotega, Matagalpa and Nueva Segovia, the latter bordering Honduras.
Murillo recommended that residents protect their homes and be ready “to evacuate and go to a shelter when necessary.”
Due to this fact, the Nicaraguan army began an evacuation work for residents, especially from the islands and keys in the northern Caribbean, whose population is exposed to the arrival of this natural phenomenon.
Guatemala
President Alejandro Giammatei, announced on twitter that he gave instructions so that the institutions are ready to serve and support Guatemalans who may be affected.
Faced with the alert of a new tropical cyclone that may affect our country, I have issued instructions so that the institutions are ready to serve and support Guatemalans who may be affected. I ask the population to be attentive to official information.
– Alejandro Giammattei (@DrGiammattei) October 6, 2022
Meanwhile, the Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (Conred) urged the population to report any risk situation, be attentive to the increase in the flow of rivers and fishermen to avoid going out to sea due to the increase in waves.
Julia is the second hurricane of the 2022 season in the Central American Caribbean, after Bonnie, a category two hurricane, crossed southern Nicaragua in July and reached the Pacific, leaving at least three dead and extensive material damage.
