Tropical Storm Lidia heads for Mexican resort
LA PAZ (Mexico): Tropical Storm Lidia bore down on the plush resort area of Los Cabos on Thursday, dumping torrential rains on a wide swath of Mexico and prompting officials to evacuate residents.
Lidia formed on Wednesday in the Pacific Ocean and was already wreaking havoc along the coast and causing downpours as far inland as Mexico City ahead of its expected landfall on Thursday night at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.
That area’s pristine, turquoisewater beaches are home to the strip of luxury resorts known as Los Cabos, which draws more than a million tourists each year.
The storm was 40km southwest of the Cabo San Lucas resort — favoured by many American and Canadian holidaymakers — and was travelling at 13kph with sustained winds of 100kph, according to the National Meteorological Service.
The Navy had deployed sailors and vehicles to the peninsula to carry out evacuations, while authorities in the state of Baja California Sur shut down its three international airports.
Some 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters in the state capital here and another 3,000 in Los Cabos.
In Mexico City, a huge downpour caused by Lidia triggered a large cave-in on a central street, opening a gaping hole at least 10m wide and 7m deep, just steps from one of the city’s main thoroughfares, Paseo de la Reforma.
On Wednesday night, the international airport in the capital cancelled 18 flights and diverted 40 arriving planes. AFP