At least nineteen people have been killed in Mexico, which is being battered by two powerful storms.
Vehicles have been left submerged across Mexico
Hurricane Ingrid has caused floods and sent thousands to emergency shelter on Mexico’s Gulf Coast. It is expected to make landfall later on Monday.
On the Pacific coast, Tropical Storm Manuel has brought two days of torrential rains and caused widespread damage.
The area around the seaside resort of Acapulco has been badly affected.
The severe weather led to the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations in many Mexican towns.
Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes.
On the Gulf of Mexico, more than 6,000 people have been evacuated ahead of Hurricane Ingrid – a category one storm.
It already has winds of 120km/h (75mph), causing widespread damage particularly in Veracruz and Tamaulipas states.
Tropical Storm Manuel has hit the western coast, on the Pacific Ocean, bringing almost twice the monthly rainfall in just three days.
The states of Oaxaca and Guerrero have been the worst hit with some road and telecommunications links down.
And the city of Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state also suffered heavy rain from a separate storm system, causing flooding on roads.
Acapulco flooding
The BBC’s Will Grant in Mexico City says that Hurricane Ingrid is the second major storm of the hurricane season and has been steadily gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
Most of those who have been evacuated are staying in official shelters while the remainder have sought refuge with friends and families.
Ingrid is expected to deposit between 25cm (10in) and 63cm (25in) of rain over a large part of eastern Mexico, causing rivers to overflow and creating flash floods and mudslides.
Three oil platforms have been evacuated off Tamaulipas coast.
Last week, 13 people were killed in Veracruz when their homes were buried under a landslide caused by heavy rains.
On the other side of the country, it is been a similar story in the Pacific states of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Chihuahua to the north.
Tropic Storm Manuel made landfall with deadly force.
Flooding in parts of the seaside resort of Acapulco, in Guerrero, have reached 2m (6ft 6in).
Mexico remains in high alert, with the National Meteorological Services warning of “a strong and prolonged rainy season across a majority of the country”.
BBC
