Hurricane Agatha breaks May records

The Category 2 storm made landfall in Mexico on Monday afternoon, making it the strongest recorded May hurricane during the Pacific season. Winds hit 105 miles per hour as Agatha pummeled Oaxaca state. Gov. Alejandro Murat said no deaths had been reported so far, but much of the region lost power. Continuous rain triggered extensive mudslides, blocking highways. Local rivers flooded towns, and residents said the conditions were the worst they had ever seen.

Where is the storm heading? It weakened into a tropical system as it moved inland on Tuesday, but it could redevelop over the week. It could regain strength and hit Florida later this week. If it does, it will be renamed as Hurricane Alex, the first of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Dig deeper: Read Kim Henderson’s report about communities recovering from Hurricane Ida last year.