The tropics in October remain active. Tropical Storm Otis joins Norma in the Pacific. Even Invest 95-L in the Caribbean could make a Pacific appearance.
Tropical Storm Otis formed in the Pacific from strengthening Tropical Depression Eighteen-E. This happened Sunday between Topical Storm Norma’s two landfalls.
Tropical Norma made landfall Saturday as a along Mexico’s Baja California coast, bringing large waves, flooding and high winds. The storm, now a tropical storm and barrels toward the coast of mainland for a second landfall. Maximum sustained winds are 65 mph. The storm is 65 miles south-southwest of Los Mochis, Mexico.
(FOX Weather)
Norma, the once Category 4 , weakened significantly before it made landfall south of Cabo San Lucas, which helped spare some communities surrounding the popular tourist destination from more extensive damage.
from rainfall was reported around the Baja California Peninsula, with at least 4 inches of rain falling over the past few days.
overlooking Cabo San Lucas reported multiple wind gusts of more than 90 mph, with a peak gust of 107 mph.
Several retail centers near the coast were closed due to the hazardous weather.
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LA PAZ, MEXICO – OCTOBER 21: Sailboats stranded on the beach due to strong waves and wind on October 21, 2023 in La Paz, Mexico. Norma made landfall as a category 2 storm in the area of Los Cabos in Mexican state of Baja California Sur causing big waves and heavy rains also in Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco. (Photo by Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images) ( )
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LA PAZ, MEXICO – OCTOBER 21: A sailboat runs aground on the beach on October 21, 2023 in La Paz, Mexico. Norma made landfall as a category 2 storm in the area of Los Cabos in Mexican state of Baja California Sur causing big waves and heavy rains also in Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco. (Photo by Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images) ( )
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A restaurant remains closed before the arrival of hurricane Norma in Los Cabos, Baja Californa state, Mexico on October 21, 2023. Hurricane Norma is expected to slam into Mexico’s northwestern coast within hours, bringing “life-threatening” winds, flooding, and a dangerous sea surge, authorities warned Saturday. The storm, still powerful though downgraded overnight from Category 3 to Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, was headed toward a part of Mexico’s Baja California coast popular with tourists. (Photo by Joel Cosio / AFP) (Photo by JOEL COSIO/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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LA PAZ, MEXICO – OCTOBER 21: Strong waves crash against the sea wall on October 21, 2023 in La Paz, Mexico. Norma made landfall as a category 2 storm in the area of Los Cabos in Mexican state of Baja California Sur causing big waves and heavy rains also in Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco. (Photo by Alfredo Martinez/Getty Images) ( )
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A man watches the water level rise during a severe storm and flooding as Hurricane Norma beings to make landfall on October 21, 2023 in La Paz, Mexico. According to NOAA, Norma is expected to bring life-threatening hurricane conditions and a dangerous storm surge to portions of the southern Baja California peninsula. (Alfredo Martinez)
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A pharmacy worker protects the shop from the arrival of Hurricane Norma at Los Cabos in Baja California State, Mexico, on October 20, 2023. Hurricane Norma on Friday once again strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it approaches a tourist hotspot on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The hurricane — which at one point was a Category 4 out of five on the Saffir-Simpson scale — is now packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour), the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. It had been a Category 2 storm earlier in the day. (Joel Cosio/AFP)
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A restaurant remains closed due to the arrival of Hurricane Norma at Los Cabos in Baja California State, Mexico, on October 20, 2023. Hurricane Norma on Friday once again strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it approaches a tourist hotspot on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The hurricane — which at one point was a Category 4 out of five on the Saffir-Simpson scale — is now packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour), the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. It had been a Category 2 storm earlier in the day. (JOEL COSIO/AFP)
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A restaurant remains closed due to the arrival of Hurricane Norma at Los Cabos in Baja California State, Mexico, on October 20, 2023. Hurricane Norma on Friday once again strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it approaches a tourist hotspot on Mexico’s Pacific coast. The hurricane — which at one point was a Category 4 out of five on the Saffir-Simpson scale — is now packing maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour (120 miles per hour), the US National Hurricane Center said in its latest update. It had been a Category 2 storm earlier in the day. (JOEL COSIO/AFP)
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Crews clean up damage from Hurricane Norma in Las Guacamayas. (Gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas)
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Crews clean up damage from Hurricane Norma in Las Guacamayas (Gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas)
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Crews clean up damage from Hurricane Norma in Las Guacamayas (Gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas)
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Crews clean up damage from Hurricane Norma in Las Guacamayas (Gobierno de Lázaro Cárdenas)
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Hurricane Norma makes landfall in Mexico ( )
The NHC forecasts Norma to maintain tropical storm status as it continues to push closer to the western coast of mainland ahead of a second landfall early Monday morning. After the second landfall, Norma will quickly weaken.
have been issued by the Mexican government for coastal communities from Cabo San Lucas to San Evaristo and from Huatabampito to Mazatlan.
(FOX Weather)
Rainfall totals were forecast to reach 6 to 12 inches, with localized amounts up to 18 inches, across the southern portion of Baja California Sur through Sunday and through Sinaloa into Monday, according to the NHC.
The heavy rain will produce flash and urban flooding, along with in higher-terrain areas.
Tropical Storm Otis forms off Central America
(FOX Weather)
Tropical Depression Eighteen-E strengthened into Tropical Storm Otis Sunday afternoon. The storm is several hundred miles southwest of Tropical Storm Norma.
The NHC says Otis is located about 500 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, and has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with some higher gusts.
(FOX Weather)
Otis is headed north-northwest at 5 mph, and that general motion is expected to continue through Tuesday. Some strengthening is expected.
After that, the NHC said Otis should begin a slow turn to the northwest by Wednesday morning. The NHC feels Otis will weaken into a TD without making landfall for Friday.
Heavy rain continuing east even as Norma weakens
Video from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, shows large wave and strong winds lashing the coast as then Hurricane Norma was nearing landfall on Saturday.
Videos from the region as Norma neared landfall on Saturday showed heavy rain and high winds lashing coastal communities, with palm trees bending during the stronger gusts. In addition to the rain and , large waves battered the coast.
Coastal flooding is possible along the west coast of mainland Mexico within the Tropical Storm Warning area. Near the coast, the flooding will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves.
Video from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, shows heavy rain and strong winds lashing the region as then Hurricane Norma was making landfall on Saturday.
The heavy rainfall triggered local authorities to move pumps to low-lying areas to help protect infrastructure and minimize road closures.
The government encouraged those in Norma’s path to stay sheltered while the worst of the impacts moved through.
Mexican authorities encouraged visitors and residents to stay away from coastal communities where the worst of the weather was anticipated to impact over the weekend.
Norma’s remnants to eventually soak Desert Southwest, southern Plains
Norma will rapidly weaken Monday after pushing ashore in the mountainous terrain of Sinaloa, but its deep surge of moisture will live on. It will push into the Desert early this week and give the southern Plains a .
(FOX Weather)
“If there’s any little baby silver lining in all of this, it’s that the remnants of Norma should actually produce some welcome rain for the Lone Star State of Texas,” FOX Weather meteorologist said.
Rainfall is expected to begin Monday in before spreading northward Tuesday.
Invest 95-L could wander into the Pacific
Forecast models bring Invest 95-L, in the Caribbean, west across Central America and Mexico. The area has a 60% chance of developing into a tropical depression over the next couple of days.
(FOX Weather)
Keep checking back on this developing story.