(CNN) – Tropical storm CristóbaHe made landfall in Mexico on Wednesday morning. And, if the system remains strong, it could traverse the Gulf of Mexico into United States weekend.
Cristóbal made landfall in the state of Campeche early this Wednesday, with sustained winds of 96.5 kilometers per hour. It struck near Atasta, Mexico, just west of Ciudad del Carmen, according to a storm chaser aircraft from the Air Force Reserve.
Life-threatening flash floods and mudslides from relentless extreme rains continue to pose the greatest threat. In addition, it could fall between 25 and 50 centimeters of rain in this region until Friday.
Some parts of the Pacific in southern Mexico received 50 centimeters of rain over the weekend and could accumulate up to 30 centimeters more.
Christopher could be the first hurricane threat to the US this year.
“The next 48 hours will reveal a lot about Christopher’s future prospects,” said CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller. “Now that the storm is on land, its center is separated from the warm waters of the Gulf of Campeche.”
Tropical storms feed on warm waters, and the distance will allow for a slight weakening.
“The forecast indicates that you can move south for the next 24 hours before making a [ángulo de] 180, and then [podría] head north again and reenter the Gulf of Mexico this Friday, ”Miller explained.
“That is a long time on land for a tropical storm to maintain its structure, so it is possible for Christopher to weaken completely.”
If the system survives, “it is likely to strengthen when it emerges again over the Gulf of Mexico,” said the National Hurricane Center.
The resurgence over the Gulf of Mexico with a low pressure center would allow the storm to reorganize quickly.
“That could even allow it to reach hurricane status before reaching the Gulf Coast of the United States,” Miller said.
“There is still some question about how much strength the open Gulf of Mexico will gain from this,” CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “But there is no doubt that the Gulf Coast will see significant potential for rain and flooding anyway.”
Additional rain until Monday.
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States along the Gulf coast should closely monitor the situation for the next few days and have a plan in case that a storm threatens the coast.
Either way, the 2020 hurricane season is only a few days old and already active. Christopher is now the third named storm of the season. It’s the first time that three named storms form so early.
CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray contributed to this story.
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