Hurricane Delta made landfall early Wednesday morning on the Yucatan peninsula as a Category 2 storm, forecasters said. The storm is now heading into the Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to strengthen on its path toward Louisiana.
Delta is expected to make landfall again in southeast Louisiana on Friday as a Category 3 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said. The long-term forecast track continued to shift slightly west overnight, placing landfall around Vermilion and Iberia parishes.
Chances are increasing for life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds along the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi beginning Friday, forecasters said. Now is the time for residents to make plans and prepare.
Forecasters say storm surge and hurricane watches will likely be issued for the Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
Where is Hurricane Delta?
image via National Hurricane Center
Delta made landfall around 5:30 a.m. near Puerto Morelos with estimated winds of 110 mph, which is a strong Category 2 storm. Category 3 hurricanes have winds of 111 to 129 mph.
As of 7 a.m., Delta was about 35 miles west of Cancun, Mexico, and was moving northwest at 17 mph. It had winds of 105 mph.
On the forecast track, the center of Delta will move over the northeastern portion of the Yucatan peninsula Wednesday morning. Then, Delta is forecast to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon, be over the southern or central Gulf of Mexico through Thursday and approach the northern Gulf Coast on Friday.
Strengthening expected
Winds from Hurricane Delta are most likely to reach Louisiana’s coast Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. (Image via National Hurricane Center)
Delta weakened during landfall, and additional weakening is likely Wednesday morning as the storm moves over the Yucatan peninsula. But the hurricane is expected to regain its strength in the Gulf of Mexico, forecasters said.
Delta could become a Category 4 hurricane again by late Thursday with winds of 130 mph. Weakening is expected as Delta approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Friday. The storm is expected to have winds around 115 mph — a Category 3 storm — at landfall, forecasters said.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 140 miles.
Watches and warnings
A hurricane warning is in effect for:
- Tulum to Dzilam, Mexico
- Cozumel
A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
- Cuba province of Pinar del Rio
- Punta Herrero to Tulum, Mexico
- Dzilam to Progreso, Mexico
Read the full advisory. The next one is due at 7 a.m.
Storm categories
On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the wind categories are:
- Tropical storm: 39 to 73 mph
- Category 1 hurricane: 74 to 95 mph
- Category 2 hurricane: 96 to 110 mph
- Category 3 hurricane (major hurricane): 111 to 129 mph
- Category 4 hurricane: 130-156 mph
- Category 5 hurricane: 157 mph and higher
What else to know?
No other tropical cyclones are expected to form in the next five days in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Systems are named once they strengthen into a tropical storm. The next available name is Epsilon. Forecasters moved to the Greek alphabet in September after using all the available names for the 2020 Atlantic season.
The Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30, but storms can form any time.
Don’t miss a storm update this hurricane season. Sign up for breaking newsletters. Follow our Hurricane Center Facebook page.
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