Mexico tropical cyclone rainfall climatology discusses precipitation characteristics of tropical cyclones that have struck Mexico over the years. One-third of the annual rainfall received along the Mexican Riviera and up to half of the rainfall received in Baja California Sur is directly attributable to tropical cyclones moving up the west coast of Mexico. The central plateau is shielded from the high rainfall amounts seen on the oceanward slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental and Occidental mountain chains.
General characteristics
Storms track near and along the western Mexican coastline primarily between the months of July and September.D. S. Gutzler, E. A. Ritchie, A. V. Douglas, and M. D. Lewis. Interannual Variability of Near-Coastal Eastern Pacific Tropical Cyclones. Retrieved on 2007-06-21. These storms enhance the monsoon circulation over northwest Mexico and the southwest United States.R. W. Higgins and W. Shi. Relationships Between Gulf of California Moisture Surges and Tropical Cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Basin. Retrieved on 2007-06-21. On an average basis, eastern Pacific tropical cyclones contribute about one-third of the annual rainfall along the Mexican Riviera, and up to one-half of the rainfall seen annually across Baja California Sur.Art Douglas and Phil Englehart. An Historical Analysis of Transient Rain Bearing Systems in the NAME Domain: The Impact of Inverted Troughs on Monsoon Rainfall. Retrieved on 2007-06-21. Mexico is twice as likely (18% of the basin total) to be impacted by a Pacific tropical cyclone on its west coast than an Atlantic tropical cyclone on its east coast (9% of the basin total). The three most struck states in Mexico in the 50 years at the end of the 20th century were Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Quintana Roo.E. Jáuregui. Climatology of landfalling hurricanes and tropical storms in Mexico. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
Highest known rainfall amounts
Below is a list of the top ten highest known storm total rainfall amounts from individual tropical cyclones across Mexico. Most of the rainfall information was provided by the Mexico's National Weather Service, Servicio Meteorológico Nacional, which is a part of the National Water Commission, Comisión Nacional del Agua.
Maximum tropical cyclone rainfall per state for Mexico
On the western side of Mexico, the Sierra Madre Occidental keeps the central plateau free of excessive rainfall, as tropical cyclones originating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean rain themselves out on the upslope sides of the topography. On the eastern side of Mexico, the Sierra Madre Oriental has the same orographic effect, this time blocking tropical disturbances making landfall from the Gulf of Mexico. State maxima relating to tropical cyclones and their remnants are shown on the right, color-coded by amount.
State Rainfall(mm) Rainfall(in) Storm (Year) Aguascalientes 150.6 5.93 Eugene (1987) Baja California 261.1 10.28 Juliette (2001) Baja California Sur 1,010.9 39.80 Juliette (2001) Campeche 774.4 30.49 Isidore (2002) Chiapas 1,119.1 44.06 Frances (1998) Chihuahua 134.9 5.31 Ismael (1995) Coahuila 406.4 16.01 Alex (2010) Colima 395.5 15.57 Javier (1998) Distrito Federal 109.2 4.30 Cosme (1989) Durango 228.1 8.98 Tico (1983) Guanajuato 124.0 4.88 Erika (2003) Guerrero 950.2 37.41 Dolly (1996) Hidalgo 567.9 22.36 TD 11 (1999) Jalisco 440.2 17.33 Javier (1998) México 108.0 4.25 Cosme (1989) Michoacán 525.3 20.68 Eugene (1987) Morelos 148.3 5.84 Cosme (1989) Nayarit 396.0 15.59 Javier (1998) Nuevo León 890.0 35.04 Alex (2010) Oaxaca 499.6 19.67 Pauline (1997) Puebla 1098.0 43.23 TD 11 (1999) Querétaro 83.1 3.27 Eugene (1987) Quintana Roo 1576.1 62.05 Wilma (2005) San Luis Potosí 804.9 31.69 Gert (1993) Sinaloa 304.0 11.97 Isis (1998) Sonora 672.0 26.46 Jimena (2009) Tabasco 523.7 20.62 Roxanne (1995) Tamaulipas 623.6 24.55 Keith (2000) Tlaxcala 71.9 2.83 Eugene (1987) Veracruz 928.9 36.57 TD 11 (1999) Yucatán 444.0 17.48 Isidore (2002) Zacatecas 355.6 14.00 Alex (2010)
See also List of wettest tropical cyclones by country Tropical cyclone Tropical cyclone rainfall climatology Tropical cyclone rainfall forecasting
References
External links Individual Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Pages for North America SOI and PDO relation to tropical cyclone rainfall variability in Mexico Characteristics of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones in the United States and Mexico: Climatology and Interannual Variability