Videos now show Hurricane Julia strengthening into a hurricane this Saturday evening. The hurricane moves over the southwestern Caribbean Sea. The Hurricane Warning is now in effect for San Andres, Providencia, and Santa Catalina Islands. A Hurricane Watch is also now in effect for much of the Nicaragua coast. Hurricane-force winds and a dangerous storm surge are expected in areas where the core of the system crosses the islands and moves onshore.
Additionally, Hurricane Julia is now the 5th hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Reports from NOAA and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Julia has become a hurricane with 75 mph (120 km/h) maximum sustained winds as it passes near San Andres and Providencia Islands.
Hurricane Julia carries with it the threat of flash flooding and mudslides across Central America.
Furthermore, experts expect heavy rain flooding and localized gusty winds. The winds will spread westward as well as northward over Central America and into southern Mexico into Monday.
Julia may also affect crops. According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham, October is typically the month where coffee beans are harvested, and the heavy rain could slow the process. Across Central America, coffee exports are a multi-billion-dollar business.
