⁍ Storm Zeta strengthens into a hurricane.
⁍ Zeta expected to rake with strong winds and heavy rain before heading towards oil-producing areas of the southern United States.
⁍ The hurricane is expected to reach the U.S. Gulf coast by Wednesday, where it could disrupt oil production.
– A hurricane warning has been issued for the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, where the storm Zeta is expected to make landfall later today. The storm is expected to dump heavy rain on the Yucatan, the Cayman Islands, and parts of Cuba today, triggering possible flash flooding in urban areas, Reuters reports. Oil producer BP has begun shutting down production at its Gulf of Mexico platforms and assets ahead of the storm, which is expected to hit the US Gulf coast by Wednesday. Zeta, a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, is not expected to strengthen much more before plowing across the peninsula, which is still recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Delta earlier this month. By early afternoon, Zeta was about 105 miles south east of the island of Cozumel, where a hurricane warning is in effect, the Miami-based NHC said. The alert also applies to nearby areas along the Yucatan peninsula, including Tulum. Zeta is expected to dump heavy rainfall across the Yucatan, the Cayman Islands, and parts of Cuba on Tuesday, triggering possible flash flooding in urban areas. The hurricane is expected to reach the US Gulf coast by Wednesday, where it could disrupt oil production.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-zeta/zeta-becomes-hurricane-bears-down-on-mexican-caribbean-coast-idUSKBN27B0HG