Weakened storm makes landfall in cancun

Hurricane Delta left a trail of toppled trees, torn roofs and downed power lines in top Caribbean getaway Cancun on Wednesday 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 sidewalks in what looked like a ghost town early on Wednesday, with 39,000 residents and tourists mostly hidden in shelters.

Delta had weakened to Category 2, with winds of 175 km/ h, by the time it hit the coast close to Puerto Morelos, a fishing village popular with tourists.

The storm retained a similar strength as it raked across the Yucatan peninsula. It was expected to gather strength again and hit the Gulf of Mexico later in the day. Its approach has prompted oil companies to shut down offshore production platforms and withdraw workers.