Rain, snow and floods hit Mexico

A state of emergency was declared across Tabasco state this weekend following widespread flooding. In the north, heavy snow has also caused some problems. In between, the authorities have decided to address the smog which hangs over Mexico City for much of the winter.

Almost five days of heavy rain has caused floods and landslides across the southern state of Tabasco this weekend. This led the Interior Ministry to place the municipalities of Balancan, Jalapa and Tenosique on high alert.

Several roads have been blocked by fallen trees, and dozens of families living in the rural areas have been unable to leave their homes. The heavy rain began before Christmas and meant that the worst hit areas were unable to enjoy the peak of the festivities.

Rather more topical weather was seen to the north of the country. Here the fourth winter storm of the season brought a good covering of snow to the higher ground. The states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi have all been affected.

Meanwhile, as is often the case, the weather is somewhat quieter over the nation’s capital, Mexico City. The authorities here are tackling the haze and smog that often chokes the skies across the region.

Pollution tends to be at its worst during the winter and Mexico City is among the first urban areas in the world to use the new technology that should help to clear the air. It is all part of a $20bn investment in the countries health infrastructure.

The smog-transforming technology works at molecular level. Basically, when tiny particles of air pollutants mix with sunlight a chemical reaction will occur and transform contaminants into water or carbon dioxide.

The plan is to turn ordinary buildings into the smog absorbing structures. Lightweight modular pieces have been designed by cutting-edge German technology that contains superfine titanium dioxide, which is widely used in air pollutant elimination.

We do have a healthy scattering of showers in the forecast for northern and central Mexico over the next few days. That should help to clear the air naturally, and with settled weather expected across the south, we should steadily see those flood waters recede.