CANCUN, (Mexico): Mexico on Tuesday mobilized thousands of soldiers and began evacuating tourists in some of its top holiday resorts as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane barreled towards the Yucatan Peninsula.
Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified in the Caribbean to reach Category 4 status, the second-highest, and was on course to hit southeastern Mexico early on Wednesday, US forecasters said.
The region is home to a string of beachside resorts including Cancun, although the number of visitors has plummeted because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Mexico hard.
Authorities in the Yucatan said they were moving guests from hotels in Cancun and other resorts to emergency shelters, while residents were also being moved to safe locations.
“The order has been given to mobilize up to 5,000 troops with all the necessary equipment to protect the population,” President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told reporters.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of around 130 miles (215 kilometers) per hour, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC). Delta was expected to pass southwest of the Cayman Islands on Tuesday afternoon.
It is expected to be an “extremely dangerous hurricane” when it makes landfall in Mexico, bringing large and destructive waves and the risk of significant flash flooding, the NHC said.
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