Good news for the Riviera Maya this morning as the NOAA in the USA is forecasting Hurricane Dean to continue moving to the west and the west-northwest, sparing Playa del Carmen and the Riviera Maya from the brunt of the storm.
CNN is reporting hurricane-strength winds extending some 60 miles from the center of the storm and tropical storm-strength winds more than 150 miles from the center, so even though the area will not likely get a direct hit, it will still feel a major impact from the hurricane.
Several inches of rain are typical for areas to the north of a storm, which means that it is likely for the Riviera Maya to get a large amount of rain from the hurricane. The towns of Tulum, Punta Allen, Bacalar and Chetumal will likely feel more impact from the storm. Local authorities are urging extreme caution for this zone, though as of the morning, life seems to be going on as usual -- at least in Tulum, where people are still at the beach, going to restaurants and not appearing to worry too much about the coming hurricane.
Next update from the region on MayanHoliday.com will be this evening.
