Hurricane season in the Caribbean is about to begin so we’ve put together a little primer of hurricane basics for travellers.  While it is unlikely that Cancun and the Riviera Maya will experience a hurricane this year, we do want to assure you that authorities are well prepared to handle any weather situation.   The safety and comfort of travellers is a priority for all in the region, no need to worry, just educate yourself for the “what ifs”.  Here are some tips for travelling in the summer season, truly a great time to visit, bargains galore, sunshine, sand and sea for the whole family!

1.  Hurricane season is technically June 1 to November 30.  An old sailors’ poem states:

“June too soon.
July stand by.
August look out you must.
September remember.
October all over.”

June is generally a pretty calm month in the Atlantic and Caribbean, but as the ocean temperatures start to increase in the summer heat, so do the chances of a tropical storm or hurricane.  Chances of a tropical storm or hurricane increase as the season progresses.  The worst hurricane to hit Cancun in recent history was Hurricane Wilma, wreaking her destruction over two days at the end of October, 2005.  Booking a vacation during hurricane season might be risky, but for the slight chance of a storm, you’ll find some great low season discounts!

2.  Buy travel insurance- It’s always a good idea, but particularly when travelling during tropical storm season.  Purchase your travel insurance at the time of booking your trip, if you try to buy it once the storm has formed, you won’t receive coverage.  Travel insurance plans vary in what they cover, be sure to read the fine print!

3.  Monitor storm activity in the days preceding your trip-  While it’s not necessary to obsess or fret about the upcoming weather (and really, how accurate are the regular forecasts?), it is a good idea to check out what the experts are saying about storm formations.  Two great resources are the National Hurricane Center and Storm Pulse.  While storms are not always predicatable, travellers and travel agents should know if there is something brewing out there.  You will have a few days to make alternative plans or cancel your trip or hang in there to watch where the storm is going to go, if it’s going to increase in intensity or if it (hopefully) fizzles out.  For travellers visiting Cancun and the Riviera Maya, you’ll want to monitor the activity in the Atlantic region.

4.  What to expect if you get caught in a hurricane-  If a hurricane strikes while you are travelling, the most important thing to do is stay calm.  The hotels and authorities have tried and true plans for keeping you safe and dry during the storm.  Cancun and the Riviera Maya have excellent evacuation plans, safe hurricane shelters and experience in emergency situations.  Ask just about anyone who was unlucky enough to be in Cancun for Hurricane Wilma, they will tell you they were well taken care of.  It might mean tuna sandwiches for a day or two, but you will be kept safe.  You can expect high winds, rains and flooding, thus it’s important to carefully follow the instructions of the hotel staff and authorities, they will keep you out of harm’s way.  Electricity will be cut, generally well before the storm arrives in order to prevent any accidents from live power lines falling, be sure to charge any gadgets when you have the chance.  You may be evacuated from your hotel, have a bag packed with essentials (you might want to grab some alcohol hand gel or baby wipes and extra toilet paper) and have all your vital documents together, a plastic bag can protect them from the elements.  Cel phone service may be lost during a storm, contact folks back home when you have the chance, let them know the name of your hotel and the location of the shelter if you are being evacuated.  Be sure to have some cash on hand, just in case, when the power is out credit cards don’t work and neither do ATMs of course.  The big complaint during Wilma was boredom, not much to do in a shelter, bring a pack of cards, books, pen and paper to journal the experience, and something to keep the kids occupied.

5.  Travel registries-  Whenever you travel out of country it’s a good idea to notify your home government that you will be abroad.  Residents of the United States of America can register online at the U.S. State Department Travel Registration site, Canadians can register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and British nationals can register with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  For travellers from other countries, a quick internet search will locate your country’s registration requirements.

If you’re looking to travel during the storm season, don’t hesitate!  Go ahead and book, enjoy the low season deals!  Thousands of travellers take advantage of the great summer travel sales and never have any issues with storms, they are still a rare occurence in the region.  Be prepared, be aware and be safe.  Follow Cancun Travel on Twitter and on Facebook, we will be monitoring the Atlantic all season and will be sharing any warnings that come up for the Cancun and Riviera Maya region. Safe journeys everyone, here’s to a calm 2010 hurricane season!

photo courtesy Storms 411

You are sitting in your office, staring outside at the grey skies and thinking about layering on two pairs of socks, thermal underwear and scarves and hats and making the trek home through the snow and slush.  In an effort to make yourself feel better, you search “cancun weather forecast” to escape for a moment to some tropical weather on your desktop screen.  Most of the time you’ll find the Cancun weather to be “hot and sunny, hot and sunny, hot and sunny” and you can live vicariously through the lucky souls who have made their winter escape.  Other times you’ll see “rain, rain, and more rain”, but truth be told, those forecasts are rarely accurate!  While forecasts may call for rain in Cancun, what we really see is a short afternoon shower (which is actually quite refreshing on a hot day) then back to “hot and sunny”.

The winter months of Cancun are generally fantastic weather months, not too hot, not too cold, with temperatures averaging 27 C/80 F, with very little precipitation and low humidity.  The days are perfect for laying on the beach, exploring Chichen Itzá, going for a snorkel or visiting Xelha or Xcaret.  It’s wise to pack a light jacket and pants as the evenings may get cool, but during the day you’ll be able to show off that gorgeous bikini or your cool new board shorts and catch a great tan.

Cancun weather (like weather everywhere) unfortunately is not always predictable.  While the winter “norm” is lovely and warm, the area can be affected by cold fronts called “nortes”.  “Nortes” bring cold weather, wind and occasional rain showers.  This past week has been unseasonably chilly in Cancun, with temperatures going as low as 15 C/59 F at night.  While this may not seem cold to those of you covered in snow, it is definitely not what Cancun is accustomed to.  The current cold front is affecting almost the entire country of Mexico and the southern United States, bringing warnings from the Mexican government to bundle up, keep children warm and to show extreme caution in heating homes.  Houses in Mexico are built to stay cool, central heating is non-existent and it is a challenge for many to maintain a comfortable temperature.

Tourists who have come to the area seeking tropical temperatures are feeling disappointment in the turn of the weather, though they are making the best of it and bikinis and board shorts are still on parade at hotel pools and beaches.  Fortunately, “nortes” usually pass in a short period of time and we should be back to sunburns and sweat in no time!  Looking at this week’s Cancun weather forecast, it appears that things should be turning around by the end of the week. Thursday’s predicted high is 28 C/82 F, a big improvement over the last few days.  While it is currently chilly, the skies are blue, the sun is shining and tourists are out and about enjoying their vacations.

A cool day in Cancun has got to be better than a bitterly cold day at home!  We at Cancun Travel send you warm wishes from south of the border, if you are thinking of making a great winter escape, we´re here at your service to help with all your vacation plans.

After days of watching weather sites and waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Ida, the people of Cancun have breathed a sigh of relief as the Yucatan Peninsula was left virtually untouched by the storm. Hurricane Ida passed through the Yucatan channel on Sunday November 8, 2009, coming closest to Cancun around midday. While Friday and Saturday the city was drenched with rain and the streets were flooded, Sunday was a very quiet day. Very little rain and no wind to speak of. With a category 2 hurricane passing by, this was quite an odd phenomenon, one that meteorologists claim was the result of a very tightly wrapped weather system. Local authorities were prepared for the worst, refugee centers were ready for any evacuees and the civil protection agency was out in force, blocking access to the beach because of the high waves and encouraging people to stay home. If Hurricane Ida had been worse, the city was prepared to protect both the citizens of Cancun and the tourists in the area. Whatever the reason for the peace we are grateful that Ida did not exert her full force upon us.

Carlos n Charlies Sunday Afternoon- Adios Ida!

Monday has dawned fresh and sunny, the heat is back and life returns to normal. Reports from the hotel zone indicate that the waves created by Ida have had a limited impact on the beach recovery project that started last week, taking some sand but not destroying the work completely. Tourists are relaxing on loungers and entertainment teams are rounding people up for tequila volleyball. Tour operations are running, bartenders are mixing and sun burns are in the making, all is well in our little corner of paradise. Hopefully this will be the end of the 2009 hurricane season and we won’t have to do a storm report until next year. Or the year after, that would be even better.

The end of the 2009 hurricane season is drawing near (officially hurricane season ends November 30th) and the Atlantic has seen very little storm activity. Cancun and the Riviera Maya have been unaffected by serious storms in 2009 and have had a relatively dry season. Of course, one can never count one’s chickens before they hatch, while many in the region had breathed a sigh of relief over the quiet year, we’re in storm watch now as Tropical Depression Ida makes her way across Nicaragua and Honduras, heading north towards the Yucatan Peninsula.

photo courtesy the National Hurricane Center

On Thursday November 5th, Ida became a category 1 hurricane as it hit Nicaragua with heavy rains and winds of 75 mph/125 kph, inflicting serious damage on the communities in its path.  The storm weakened over land, dropping in status to a tropical storm, then later to a tropical depression.  Today Ida is expected to cross Honduras and enter the Caribbean Sea, on a north-northwest path that will likely bring her over the Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend and into Monday.  Forecasts give Ida a 49% chance of increasing intensity over the sea before reaching Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Officials in Quintana Roo have issued low-level alerts to the population, advising people to prepare for heavy rain and winds, but have not issued any serious bulletins for hurricane watches.  The Civil Protection agency closely monitors ongoing storms and will raise the alerts if the state is at greater risk from a strengthening Ida.  The authorities, businesses and people of Quintana Roo are well prepared to deal with any weather emergency and while it is unlikely, if Ida presents a danger to tourists in the area, necessary steps will be taken to ensure maximum safety.

It does not appear that Ida offers any great threat to the region, though we will certainly see some inclement weather over the weekend.  It has been raining in the region for the last few days and that is expected to continue at least through Monday.  Of course, storms are predictable only in their unpredictability, many factors can affect the path and intensity of a storm over only a few short hours. There is always the chance that the storm could dissipate or conversely, increase in strength over the Caribbean Sea.

To monitor Ida’s movements, please visit the National Hurricane Center or Stormpulse for the latest news.