Hurricane Delta weakens over Mexico

CANCUN, Mexico: Hurricane Delta left a trail of toppled trees, torn roofs and downed power lines in Caribbean getaway Cancun yesterday but the storm weakened before landfall and appeared to have wrought less destruction than many had feared.

Beachside roads were flooded, small boats overturned in a marina, while roof tiles and broken glass littered footpaths in what looked like a ghosttown , as 39,000 residents and tourists sought the protection of shelters before winds abated.

Fallen trees partially blocked a road to the resort’s strip of fivestar hotels. Smaller properties sustained caved inwalls or shattered windows.

Delta had weakened to category 2 on the fivestep SaffirSimpson scale of intensity, by the time it hit the coast close to Puerto Morelos, a fishing village popular with tourists.

It was expected to gather strength again and hit the Gulf of Mexico later in the day. — Reuters