Guatemala hit by deadly tropical storm

A deadly tropical storm hit Guatemala on Saturday, which coincided with disruption from an erupting volcano that sprung into life on Thursday. Torrential rain has caused widespread disruption across Central America.

Attempts to clear the ash from Pacaya, the erupting volcano in southern Guatemala, have been thwarted by the impact from the tropical storm. The volcano threw ash over Guatemala City, which killed one person.

The tropical storm, named 'Agatha', has been responsible for the death of at least 120 people over the weekend. 110,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Guatemala in a mass evacuation as torrential rain continues to fall.

Mudslides and floods have caused chaos, and rivers have burst their banks. Over a hundred bridges have been destroyed by the treacherous weather, cutting off escape routes. Rescue workers have made valiant attempts to clear the roads to reach communities that have been left stranded.

Parts of the country have already seen the worst rainfall in over 60 years as the rain continues to pour.

La Aurora international airport in Guatemala City has been closed since the eruption of Pacaya, and the storm has slowed attempts to clear ash from the runways. Weather permitting, the airport should reopen on Wednesday.

El Salvador, Honduras and parts of southern Mexico have also been affected by the tropical storm. Deaths have occurred in El Salvador and over 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Honduras.

Hurricane Agatha has weakened over the last couple of days and it has been downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression, but torrential rain will continue to fall for the rest of the week.

Houses have been devastated by the tropical storm, leaving many homeless without food or water. A state of emergency has been declared in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to encourage the deployment of government aid.

Hurricane Agatha is the first tropical storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season. The Eastern Pacific usually has around 15 tropical storms during the hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30 every year.

If you are travelling to the Eastern Pacific and you want to find out more information about the hurricane season, visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website or the World Meteorological Organisation website for up to date weather reports.

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