Landslides
At least 18 dead after storms in Latin America
In South America, Ecuador, police reported seven dead, 20 missing and 16 injured. Photo
© Dolores Ochoa/AP
Heavy rains cause landslides in Central and South America. 18 people die. Mexico and the US state of Texas are also preparing for heavy rainfall.
In Central and South America, severe storms and the resulting At least 18 people have died in landslides. At least eleven people died in El Salvador, according to the civil protection agency of the smallest Central American country. In South America, Ecuador, police reported seven dead, 20 missing and 16 injured as a result of landslides.
Since the weekend, heavy rains have also caused flooding and mudslides in Guatemala, Honduras and southeastern Mexico. In El Salvador, the government declared a national emergency. According to the Interior Ministry, around 880 people have been taken to emergency shelters.
Meteorologists are monitoring the possible formation of the first tropical cyclone of the season in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the US Hurricane Center in Miami, the system is expected to cause heavy rain and coastal flooding in northeastern Mexico and the US state of Texas as early as Tuesday.
The hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June 1 to November 30. According to the US weather agency NOAA, it is likely to be more severe than average this year. The reasons include high water temperatures in the Atlantic and the expected onset of “La Niña”, a phase of cooler water temperatures in the Pacific.