Foreign Office in urgent travel hotspot warning as cyclone to hit

The Foreign Office has issued an urgent travel warning to a popular tourist destination amid concerns that a cyclone is set to hit there. People travelling to Mexico are being told that high winds, heavy rain and flooding are set to hit some areas from today (June 19).

In a new update the Foreign Office said: “Potential Tropical Cyclone One is currently heading towards the coast of Tamaulipas and is due to make landfall on the morning of Thursday 20 June. It is currently forecast to become a tropical storm by Wednesday 19 June. A tropical storm warning is now in place along the coast of Tamaulipas state.

“High winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding are expected in northeastern Mexico, with the possibility of flooding and landslides in some areas.“ The Foreign Office was already warning against all but essential travel to most of Tamaulipas state on safety grounds. It also says that travel insurance could be invalidated if people travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Other advice for people travelling to Mexico includes that political demonstrations are common in Mexico City and can happen across the country. It warned: “Demonstrations can be tense, confrontational and potentially violent. Onlookers can be quickly drawn in. It is illegal for foreign nationals to participate in political activities in Mexico. If you join demonstrations, the Mexican authorities may detain and deport you.

“Monitor local media and avoid all demonstrations. If you come across protests, move away from the area.”

A wildfire swept into the mountain village of Ruidoso in southern New Mexico on Tuesday, June 18, destroying or damaging hundreds of structures after residents fled under evacuation orders with little time to rescue belongings. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham declared a state of emergency in southern New Mexico on Tuesday and deployed additional National Guard troops to the area.

The magnitude of the fires is beyond local control and requires immediate state intervention to protect public health, safety and welfare, the governor said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. She said more than 500 structures had been damaged and the entire village of Ruidoso, population 7,000, had been evacuated.