T.S. Karl causes power, telephone outages in southeastern Mexico

Cancun, Agency
Tropical Storm Karl, which made landfall Wednesday morning 15 kilometers northeast of Chetumal, in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula brought power and telephone outages due to the intense rains and wind gusts, Quintana Roo state authorities said.

Local authorities still have not determined whether the scheduled activities to celebrate the country's independence bicentennial will be carried out in the municipalities of Tulum, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Jose Maria Morelos and Othon P. Blanco.

A red alert has been declared in these four municipalities in the southern portion of Quintana Roo, while in the rest of the region an orange alert has been instituted as a precautionary measure.

Mexico's weather bureau said Karl is moving west at 22 kph (about 13.5 mph) with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph (59 mph).

The entire southern coastal area of Quintana Roo was evacuated as a safety measure and fishermen in the Banco Chinchorro zone were forced to dock their boats and go ashore.

In northern Quintana Roo, where the tourist cities of Cancun and Cozumel are located, authorities ordered all aquatic activities to be suspended and placed red flags on the beaches to warn bathers of the dangers of taking to the water.