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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, toppling trees and bringing lashing rain. | Hurricane Dean has struck Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula near the border with Belize, toppling trees and bringing lashing rain. |
| Major tourist resorts were not directly hit as the storm made landfall about 170 miles (270km) south of Cancun. There are no reports of deaths so far. | Major tourist resorts were not directly hit as the storm made landfall about 170 miles (270km) south of Cancun. There are no reports of deaths so far. |
| Dean was a Category Five hurricane, the highest level, when it made landfall, but later weakened to Category One. | Dean was a Category Five hurricane, the highest level, when it made landfall, but later weakened to Category One. |
| 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 came ashore at 0330 (0830 GMT) in a sparsely populated area near the town of Majahual. It lashed low-lying communities and ancient Maya ruins. | The eye of the storm came ashore at 0330 (0830 GMT) in a sparsely populated area near the town of Majahual. It lashed low-lying communities and ancient Maya ruins. |
| In pictures: Mexico deluged Relief in Cancun 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. | In pictures: Mexico deluged Relief in Cancun 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. |
| But the worst-affected areas are poor and remote, and the extent of the damage will not be clear for several hours. | But the worst-affected areas are poor and remote, and the extent of the damage will not be clear for several hours. |
| At 1500 GMT the storm was crossing the Yucatan Peninsula at about 20mph (62km/h), with winds of up to 87mph (140km/h). | |
| 'Windows shattered' | 'Windows shattered' |
| The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the hurricane could produce heavy rainfall, with potentially life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. | The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the hurricane could produce heavy rainfall, with potentially life-threatening flash floods and mudslides. |
| Andrea Montalvo, of the US-based Spanish-language Telemundo television network, said the storm was wreaking havoc in the town of Chetumal, to the east of Majahual. | Andrea Montalvo, of the US-based Spanish-language Telemundo television network, said the storm was wreaking havoc in the town of Chetumal, to the east of Majahual. |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187722688/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187722688/html/1.stm', '1187722726', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=368,left=312,top=100'); return false;">View path of Hurricane Dean in more detail href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187722688/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1187722688/html/1.stm', '1187722726', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=368,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Image | |
| "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 cuts as the wind knocked over trees and sent debris flying through the air. | City officials said there were power cuts 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. | Further south, in Belize City, officials closed the hospitals and urged people to head inland, saying the town's shelters were not strong enough. |
| Mexican President Felipe Calderon, attending a trade summit in Canada, said he would return home on Tuesday and visit affected areas. | Mexican President Felipe Calderon, attending a trade summit in Canada, said he would return home on Tuesday and visit affected areas. |
| Fleeing the storm | Fleeing the storm |
| 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. |
| How hurricanes are tracked Dean's path of destruction Send us your comments About two-thirds of the tourists in Cancun and other resorts left the area before Dean's arrival. | How hurricanes are tracked Dean's path of destruction Send us your comments About two-thirds of the tourists in Cancun and other resorts 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 in the Bay of Campeche. | Mexico's state-oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, evacuated workers and shut down production on its offshore rigs in the Bay of Campeche. |
| The storm is due to make landfall again on Wednesday in the state of Veracruz on the central Mexican coast. | The storm is due to make landfall again on Wednesday in the state of Veracruz on the central Mexican coast. |
| 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. |
| 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 |