Tropical Storm Chris makes landfall in eastern Mexico | World News

Tropical Storm Chris reached the east coast of Mexico late Sunday and was expected to dissipate a few hours later, the United States National Hurricane Center said.

The center of the storm reached the state of Veracruz, the hurricane center said shortly before midnight local time. Chris is the third named storm in an already active hurricane season in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Beryl moved westward toward the Caribbean as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane early Monday morning, prompting emergency preparations over the weekend in the Leeward Islands, southeast of Puerto Rico and north of Venezuela.

Chris’ maximum sustained winds at landfall were about 40 miles per hour, more than 30 miles per hour below hurricane strength, according to the hurricane center. A tropical storm warning was in effect for parts of Mexico’s east coast on Sunday.

The hurricane center said Chris is expected to weaken after landfall, but warned that the storm could bring 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain to areas of eastern Mexico through Monday, and flooding and landslides are possible.

Alberto, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall in eastern Mexico on June 20. Alberto unleashed heavy rains, flooding, and gusty winds. Authorities said at least four people were killed in events related to the storm.

This hurricane season was expected to be stressful.

Meteorologists warn that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season could be significantly more severe than usual.

In late May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast 17 to 25 named storms this year, an “above average” number and a prediction that is consistent with more than a dozen forecasts from experts at universities, private companies and government agencies from earlier this year. Hurricane season averages 14 named storms.

Forecasts for the seasonal hurricane season were particularly aggressive because meteorologists predicted a combination of circumstances at the start of the season that had not been seen in records until the mid-19th century: record-breaking high sea temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the possible emergence of the weather phenomenon known as La Niña.

La Niña occurs in the Pacific due to changing ocean temperatures and affects weather patterns worldwide. When it is strong, it usually creates a calm environment in the Atlantic. This allows storms to develop and strengthen more easily without being disrupted by wind patterns that might otherwise prevent them from forming.