Hurricane Season is Here!

Forecasters are predicting a stormy summer as the first tropical storm of the new hurricane season has struck parts of Central America. 

Tropical Storm ‘Agatha’ has left a trail of destruction and close to 100 deaths.  The heavy rains caused floods and mudslides and washed out many homes and roads.

Thousands of people evacuated their homes in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.  The disruption may last several days, so those with travel plans to affected areas may wish to contact their airline or tour operator for advice.

The hurricane and tropical storm season in the Caribbean runs from approximately June-November.  The storms are also known as cyclones and typhoons.  Travellers are advised to keep up with weather and news reports if travelling to parts of the world that may be affected.  The tropical storms can be unpredictable, change course suddenly, and increase or decrease in speed without much warning. 

Visit the Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO) website for hurricane updates and useful links.  If a tropical storm or hurricane is seriously affecting an area the FCO will post updates and travel advisories.  If a storm is particularly severe and heading for populated areas the FCO may issue advisories against travel. 

Weather experts have predicted that the unusually warm temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean may mean summer storms along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean areas.

Hurricane seasons are predicted in specific areas as follows:

• Caribbean and Atlantic:  June-November
• Mexico – June-November (Pacific and/or Atlantic coasts)
• Pacific and SE Asia – May-November
• S. Pacific, Far East, Australia – May-November
• N. India – April-June and Sept-November
• E. Coast of Africa – November-April

Visit our Travel Guides and follow the links for the FCO for updated and important travel advice.  To obtain a quote for travel insurance click here.

Flickr cc Image:  au tiger01 (Hurricane Katrina)