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| Hurricane Dean hits Mexican coast | Hurricane Dean hits Mexican coast |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hurricane Dean has struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula near the border with Belize, bringing driving winds and lashing rain. | Hurricane Dean has struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula near the border with Belize, bringing driving winds and lashing rain. |
| Major tourist resorts were spared a direct hit the storm made landfall near the Mexican town of Majahual, about 170 miles (270km) south of Cancun. | |
| Dean was a Category Five hurricane - the highest level - when it hit land, but later weakened to Category Two. | |
| The storm could strengthen when it hits sea again after crossing the Yucatan. | The storm could strengthen when it hits sea again after crossing the Yucatan. |
| The eye of the storm made landfall at 0330 (0830 GMT) in a sparsely populated part of the coastline. It lashed low-lying communities and ancient ruins. | The eye of the storm made landfall at 0330 (0830 GMT) in a sparsely populated part of the coastline. It lashed low-lying communities and ancient ruins. |
| The BBC's Heather Alexander in the resort of Cancun further north says people there are breathing a sigh of relief. | The BBC's Heather Alexander in the resort of Cancun further north says people there are breathing a sigh of relief. |
| It feels more like a rainy day than a serious storm, she says, and people are out walking in the streets. | It feels more like a rainy day than a serious storm, she says, and people are out walking in the streets. |
| Send us your comments | Send us your comments |
| But the worst-affected areas are poor and remote, and the extent of the damage will not be clear for several hours, our correspondent adds. | But the worst-affected areas are poor and remote, and the extent of the damage will not be clear for several hours, our correspondent adds. |
| At 1500 GMT the storm was crossing the Yucatan Peninsula at a speed of about 20mph (62km/h), with winds of up to 105mph (165km/h). | |
| 'Windows shattered' | 'Windows shattered' |
| The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize as well as Guatemala and northern Honduras could expect heavy rainfall, which could cause flash floods and landslides. | The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize as well as Guatemala and northern Honduras could expect heavy rainfall, which could cause flash floods and landslides. |
| There is concern for residents of poor communities living in flimsy homes. | There is concern for residents of poor communities living in flimsy homes. |
| View path of Hurricane Dean in more detailEnlarge Map | View path of Hurricane Dean in more detailEnlarge Map |
| Andrea Montalvo, of the US-based Spanish-language Telemundo television network, said the storm was wreaking havoc in Chetumal. | Andrea Montalvo, of the US-based Spanish-language Telemundo television network, said the storm was wreaking havoc in Chetumal. |
| "Inside the hotel it is really bad, every 10 or 15 minutes you can hear windows shattering and people are coming out of their rooms in panic," she said. | "Inside the hotel it is really bad, every 10 or 15 minutes you can hear windows shattering and people are coming out of their rooms in panic," she said. |
| "If this is how it is here in this hotel, which is pretty solid, I don't want to think about how it is there." | "If this is how it is here in this hotel, which is pretty solid, I don't want to think about how it is there." |
| City officials said there were power outages as the wind knocked over trees and sent debris flying through the air. | City officials said there were power outages as the wind knocked over trees and sent debris flying through the air. |
| Ernesto Calzada from Quintana Roo radio and TV told the BBC: "I looked out of my office window and saw an enormous tree close by topple over." | Ernesto Calzada from Quintana Roo radio and TV told the BBC: "I looked out of my office window and saw an enormous tree close by topple over." |
| Further south, in Belize City, officials closed the hospitals and urged people to head inland, saying the town's shelters were not strong enough to withstand the hurricane. | Further south, in Belize City, officials closed the hospitals and urged people to head inland, saying the town's shelters were not strong enough to withstand the hurricane. |
| Fleeing the storm | Fleeing the storm |
| Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who is attending a trade summit in Canada, said that he would leave on Tuesday after a meeting with his US and Canadian counterparts. | Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who is attending a trade summit in Canada, said that he would leave on Tuesday after a meeting with his US and Canadian counterparts. |
| How hurricanes are tracked Dean's path of destruction | How hurricanes are tracked Dean's path of destruction |
| The hurricane has already claimed at least 11 lives in the eastern Caribbean. | The hurricane has already claimed at least 11 lives in the eastern Caribbean. |
| Around two-thirds of the tourists in Cancun and other popular resorts nearby left the area before Dean's arrival. | Around two-thirds of the tourists in Cancun and other popular resorts nearby left the area before Dean's arrival. |
| The hurricane is moving steadily west over the Yucatan and may regain strength when it hits sea again over the Bay of Campeche on Tuesday night, the NHC said. | The hurricane is moving steadily west over the Yucatan and may regain strength when it hits sea again over the Bay of Campeche on Tuesday night, the NHC said. |
| Mexico's state-oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, evacuated workers and shut down production on its offshore rigs there in anticipation. | Mexico's state-oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, evacuated workers and shut down production on its offshore rigs there in anticipation. |
| The storm is due to hit Mexico's coast for a second time near Tampico in the state of Veracruz. | The storm is due to hit Mexico's coast for a second time near Tampico in the state of Veracruz. |
| Dean is expected to be less damaging than the Category Five Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which lingered over the Yucatan for a day, killing 10 people and wrecking large areas of Cancun. | Dean is expected to be less damaging than the Category Five Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which lingered over the Yucatan for a day, killing 10 people and wrecking large areas of Cancun. |
| Category Five storms are rare - only three have hit the US since record-keeping began. | Category Five storms are rare - only three have hit the US since record-keeping began. |
| In the US, the return of the space shuttle Endeavour was brought forward by a day, to Tuesday, in an attempt to beat the hurricane should it eventually reach Texas, where Nasa's mission control is based. | In the US, the return of the space shuttle Endeavour was brought forward by a day, to Tuesday, in an attempt to beat the hurricane should it eventually reach Texas, where Nasa's mission control is based. |
| Are you in the Caribbean? Have you been affected by Hurricane Dean or are you preparing for it to pass? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk. | Are you in the Caribbean? Have you been affected by Hurricane Dean or are you preparing for it to pass? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. If you have any pictures you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk. |
| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| Find out more about how to send your pictures and to read terms and conditions | Find out more about how to send your pictures and to read terms and conditions |