Headline:
DANA, the Spanish Flood Culprit, Could Storm Mexico This Christmas
Subhead:
Meteorologists on high alert as regulating temperatures and heavy rain expected.
Spanish climate chaos could be arriving on Mexican shores this Christmas, as climate authorities brace for the potential impact of an intense weather phenomenon known as a DANA (Cut-off Low). This same depressor was responsible for devastating floods in Spain, causing widespread damage and transforming the festive season into a crisis zone.
What is a DANA?
A DANA, or Cut-off Low, occurs when a low-pressure system detaches from the main weather flow and becomes stationary or retrograde. According to the Mexican National Weather Service, a DANA can extend across vast areas, interacting with the subtropical jet stream to create cold snaps during mornings and nights. Usually, these disruptions bring rain and storms, with significant snowfall or sleet in mountainous regions above 3,700 meters.
What Could DANA Bring to Mexico?
Officials are gearing up for potentially severe consequences, with DANA expected to deliver heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, along with strong winds and flooding. This weather pattern could also cause landslides, elevate water levels in rivers and lagoons, and raise coastal tides.
Abimael Salas Garza, Chief Meteorologist at MILENIO and Multimedios, warns, "DANAs are typically associated with storm activity and could wreak havoc in Mexico if they make landfall."
States Likely to be Affected
On December 24 and 25, a DANA is forecast to extend from the northeast to the west of Mexico, bringing cold temperatures in the morning and evening.
- Chubasco Rainfall (5 to 25 mm): Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Estado de México, and Morelos.
- Isolated Rainfall (0.1 to 5 mm): Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Hidalgo, Ciudad de México, and Quintana Roo.
- Snowfall/Aguanieve (Above 3,700 m): Pico de Orizaba, Iztaccíhuatl, Popocatépetl, Sierra Negra, Nevado de Toluca, Cofre de Perote, and La Malinche.
- Northeastern Winds (20 to 40 km/h with gusts of 50 to 70 km/h): Oaxaca and Chiapas.
- Wind Conditions
- Baja California: (20 to 40 km/h with gusts of 50 to 70 km/h)
- Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas: (20 to 30 km/h with gusts of 40 to 60 km/h)
- Sonora and Chihuahua: (20 to 30 km/h with gusts of 40 to 60 km/h)
- Coastal Conditions
- Western Baja California Peninsula: Waves up to 4 meters high.
- Gulf of Tehuantepec: Waves up to 3 meters high with a decrease throughout the day.
- High Temperatures (35 to 40°C): Sinaloa, Nayarit, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas (coast).
- Temperatures (30 to 35°C): Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Colima, Morelos, Puebla, and Campeche.
- Low Temperatures (-15 to -10°C): Durango mountains.
- Christmas Morning Frosts
- Temperatures (-10 to -5°C): Sonora and Chihuahua mountains.
- Temperatures (-5 to 0°C): Baja California, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Estado de México, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, and Puebla mountains.
- Temperatures (0 to 5°C): Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Querétaro, Ciudad de México, Morelos, Veracruz, and Oaxaca mountains.
As Mexico braces for this storm, meteorologists advise caution and urge citizens living in affected areas to stay informed and safe while celebrating the holidays.
