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The Atlantic hurricane season is not over yet. The Hurricane Otto, located in Central America, has forced the evacuation of more than 10.000 people, and has caused the death of three in Panama.
Now it is approaching Costa Rica, with sustained winds of 120km / h.
Formation of Hurricane Otto
Image - NOAA, November 22, 2016.
Otto was formed last Monday, November 21, about 530 km east of Nicaragua. However, it quickly strengthened and on Tuesday 22 became a Category 1 hurricane, with winds with speeds exceeding 120km/h and with a travel speed of 4 km/h. That day, the hurricane was closely monitored from Costa Rica to Panama, and a tropical storm warning was issued in the Panamanian cities of Colón and Nargana Island.
On November 23, Otto weakened and became a tropical storm again, with winds exceeding 100 km/h. At that time, it was located 300 km from Costa Rica and 375 km from Bluefields, Nicaragua. Despite this, authorities urged the population not to let their guard down: Otto could strengthen again before hitting Costa Rica. If you want to know more about the activity of this meteorological event, you can consult articles that detail How many hurricanes have formed in 2016?, as well as what the hurricane season 2016 according to NOAA.
path
Possible path of Hurricane Otto. Image - Wunderground.com
And that has been what has happened. Otto Category 1 hurricane again with winds of over 120 km/h. For safety reasons, preventive alerts have been issued and evacuation plans have been implemented in coastal towns. For a deeper understanding of the context of this hurricane season, it's advisable to review what the NOAA forecast will be like.
This situation is further complicated by the lack of experience with hurricanes and the lack of adequate infrastructure to withstand strong winds. Therefore, Costa Rican authorities have evacuated all the residents living in vulnerable towns, even against the will of many of them, before Hurricane Otto reaches the country.
For tomorrow Friday and the weekend, it is expected to weaken.
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We leave you with a video recorded in Panama after Otto's passage:
