A weakened Norma crosses Mexico, while Hurricane Tammy threatens Caribbean islands
Hurricane Tammy is battering multiple Caribbean islands with rain and winds, while Tropical Storm Norma continues to move across the west coast of Mexico after making landfall Saturday at the southern tip of the country's Baja California Peninsula.
The two storms hundreds of miles apart don't threaten U.S. coastlines, but the National Hurricane Center warned that Tammy could impact the Leeward Islands, including Antigua and Barbuda, with heavy rain and potential flooding.
Meanwhile, Norma's northeastward trajectory means parts of mainland Mexico are bracing for severe weather.
Hurricane Tammy douses the Caribbean
The National Hurricane Center said Sunday that the eye of Hurricane Tammy was located about 120 miles north of Anguilla around 5 p.m. ET.
Moving northwest at about 9 miles per hour, Tammy is expected to turn northeast on Monday and Tuesday, with slight strengthening possible during the next few days.
No hurricane warnings or coastal warnings or watches were in effect, but officials said the Category 1 hurricane could send hurricane-force winds as far as 25 miles and tropical-storm-force winds as far as 115 miles.
Heavy rainfall — as much as a foot on the Leeward Islands — could cause isolated flash and urban flooding as well as mudslides in elevated terrain, according to the NHC.
Life-threatening surf and rip currents could also affect countries across the Lesser Antilles for a few days.
Antigua and Barbuda officials said the country's VC Bird International Airport was reopening at noon local time on Sunday.
On the island of Guadeloupe, officials had urged residents to be aware of shelter locations, while nearby Dominica closed schools on Friday.
Hurricanes so late in October are rare for the Atlantic basin, experts say, particularly so far to the southeast. Scientists warned earlier this month that an unusually warm Atlantic Ocean — linked to the El Niño weather pattern — could precipitate the formation of storms in less common locations.
Tropical Storm Norma is expected to further weaken over mainland Mexico
Tropical Storm Norma made landfall Saturday afternoon as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph near the popular Mexican tourist town of Cabo San Lucas, later weakening.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect in Mexico Sunday evening from Cabo San Lucas to San Evaristo and from Huatabampito to Mazatlan.
The center of the storm was hovering over the Gulf of California at a sluggish 3 mph pace between Mexico's Baja California Sur and Sinaloa states.
Those areas were expected to experience tropical storm conditions, including high winds, coastal and urban flooding and as much as 18 inches of rain. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are also predicted in coastal areas.
The storm system is expected to move east and reach the mainland of Mexico on Sunday night. Norma currently has maximum sustained winds around 65 mph, but forecasters expect "rapid weakening" once the storm moves over mainland Mexico.
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