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| This is the live webcam at North Beach / Playa Norte. |
Follow Isla Mujeres News & Events on Facebook for highlights of news & events, and more photos & videos
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Storm report:
On the evening of Saturday, Oct. 6th, the NHC issued a Tropical Storm Watch from Tulum to Cabo Catoche, which includes Isla Mujeres. On Sunday morning, the NHC upgraded the low pressure system to Tropical Depression #14, forecasting its development into a Tropical Storm later in the day, which occurred.
The NHC predicted that TS Michael would pass over our area on Sunday night/Monday morning between midnight and dawn. However, rather than going north up the coast, it veered east into the Caribbean and increased in strength as it headed for Cuba and the Gulf. The rainfall predictions for the Yucatan were reduced to 1-2 inches.
At 10am on Monday, the storm achieved Hurricane status when it was ~126 miles due east of Isla Mujeres. (The NHC reported its position as 21.2N / 84.9W, and Isla Mujeres is at 21.2N / 86.7W. One degree is ~70 miles & it was 1.8° east of us.). On the island, the winds had been noisy and sometimes gusty during the night, while the rain had been intermittent, and sometimes sideways & briefly intense.
On Monday morning, the winds were mild and the rain had mostly stopped, but there were huge breakers off the east coast, with NHC advisories about swells for our area. We remained under a Tropical Storm Watch (and a Yellow Alert) as the storm moved over part of Cuba, and into the Gulf. Here the weather was overcast, with active seas, which calmed down by sunset, and it was a fairly pleasant day, especially considering what had been expected.
Below is the path of the storm, with the orange area indicating Tropical Storm force winds. (>39mph) .
The ferries were suspended Sunday night at 9/9:30p and resumed Monday morning just after 8am. It had been anticipated they would be suspended again at noon on Monday, but that wasn't necessary. There were frequent updates on the Isla Mujeres News & Events Facebook page, as well as videos and photos from the island.
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News from the Municipal Facebook site..... ( FB page link)
Isla Mujeres without affectations from passage of Hurricane Michael LINK
Official preventative actions included the installation of the Hydrometeorological Phenomena Operations Committee, the cleaning of streets and culverts, and the supervision of the pumps for the Salina lakes, and they remain alert since "Michael" brought strong gusts of wind and heavy rain. Due to the work to clear the drains, the island (generally) remained free of flooding, and the head of Civil Protection also reported that the water level of the lakes remained low. His staff did continual tours and patrols, rendering service where it was needed.
Recognition was given to the residents for their cooperation, for avoiding 'panic purchasing', and for their preparedness. The City reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the islanders informed during any eventuality that could occur from the passage of Michael.
Celebrating the 44th anniversary of the statehood of Quintana Roo VIDEO
For our jungle, sea, history and youth, this is Quintana Roo! Today we celebrate 44 years of forging our identity, proud of our roots.
On Monday, Oct. 8, due to the weather, classes will be suspended at all educational levels for both shifts.
There are notices from yesterday for the municipalities that were under a yellow alert due to the weather and notices about the ferries. (The ferries were suspended Sunday night at 9/9:30 with a notice that they would resume at 6:30. However they resumed just after 8a Monday morning with a notice that they might be suspended at noon, but they continued operating normally all day.)
The Mayor toured the vulnerable areas of the island LINK
Video of the meeting of the municipal Committee of Fenómenos Hidrometeorológicos (Hurricane Committee) on Sunday.
Municipal government increases efforts to ensure the security of the islanders LINK
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FB News Sites about Isla Mujeres
Tvisla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres without affectations from passage of Hurricane Michael LINK
The Harbor Master said the port would be reopened (on Monday) for the ferries at 8am and not 6:30am as originally announced LINK
The Isla Mujeres Director of Tourism, Jesus Castillo Magaña, said the threat of Hurricane Michael would not affect the participation of Isla Mujeres in the Travel Mart tourism fair in Cancun, which begins Tuesday (today) and everything is ready. LINK
There's a notice from Monday from the Harbor Master closing the port to all boats except the cargo and passenger ferries and advice to stay attentive to official reports.
Advisory that Tropical Storm Michael had developed into a Category 1 Hurricane (while it was east of this area, over Cuba and about to enter the Gulf of Mexico).
Photo & video of the resumption of the ferries at 8a on Monday, which was expected to continue thru noon, but did not need to be suspended again, and continued normally in the afternoon and evening. The car ferries were also resuming operations.
VIDEO from 10a Monday of seawater lapping over the entrance of the Mia bridge, and it shows a taxi driving thru it, and the reporter notes that sargasso is arriving to that area.
There are notices from Sunday evening about about the Yellow Alert beginning and to follow official sources regarding the Tropical Storm "Michael".
(Note: The Alert levels are:
BLUE Minimum danger – "Stay advised"
GREEN Low danger - "Prevention"
YELLOW Moderate danger - "Preparation"
ORANGE High danger – "Alarm"
RED Maximum Danger - "Event")
There's a notice from Sunday about suspension of Monday morning classes in Isla Mujeres, Benito Juárez, Lázaro Cárdenas and Puerto Morelos, as a preventative measure and the availability of shelters and medical care, whose headline says that Tropical Storm Michael doesn't represent a danger to Quintana Roo: Gov. Carlos Joaquin LINK The Governor advised inhabitants from the municipalities of Tulum to Benito Juarez to take precautions & follow official information. He noted the Cancun airport was functioning normally and no flights had been cancelled. He spoke about preventative actions that had been taken, and the availability of refuges and medical services. Other advice is given like not driving or walking in flood waters, avoiding water activities, staying informed, etc.
Don't be alarmed, only rain is expected: Mayor Juan Carrillo LINK A meeting was held of the Operations Committee of Fenómenos Hidrometeorológicos, In this article from Sunday evening, the Mayor advises people not to fall into panic buying and to remain calm, and to expect increased rain and wind in upcoming hours, but the shelters did not need to be activated, and this was not a hurricane. He said the Ultramar ferries had been operating normally but that could become more complicated in the night (they suspended operations at 9/9:30). He asked residents not to put their trash out to the street and to clean their yards. He said that fortunately in Quintana Roo, and especially in Isla Mujeres, there is a great culture of prevention and that is why there is confidence that things will go well.
There is an official advisory about Ultramar suspending operations at 9p from Gran Puerto and 9:30p from Isla Mujeres, on Sunday evening with plans to resume at 6a from Gran Puerto and 6:30a from Isla Mujeres (which was changed and they resumed just after 8a from the island), which also advises to stay informed from the Harbor Master for updates.
There's an official advisory about the class suspensions on Monday and a VIDEO from the Governor regarding the Tropical Storm.
There's an article from around noon on Sunday about the tropical depression being upgraded to Tropical Storm Michael LINK which said there was a good possibility the port could be closed later to all navigation, or partially closed, depending on the trajectory of the storm. (which ended up tracking east while it was still south of Cozumel, and increasing in intensity as it tracked toward Cuba becoming a Hurricane just before it entered the Gulf on Monday morning.)
On Sunday, the Harbor Master & municipal Civil Protection offices released an official advisory saying:
"As of 10am, the passenger and cargo ferries operating between Isla Mujeres and Cancun/Puerto Juarez will cease to operate according to their schedules, and departures will be made according to transportation needs, until the conditions allow. It is advised that you stay informed of the development of TD #14 and take necessary precautions in the face of this phenomena. The closure of the Port of Isla Mujeres for all types of navigation is very possible in the course of this afternoon or evening."
The depression was upgraded to a Tropical Storm shortly after the notice was released. The Comité Operativo de Fenómenos Hidrometeorológicos met around 2pm
Isla Mujeres Al Dia
The two electrical outages were caused by a problem at the Venado sports court when a Telmex pole caught fire, so the CFE (Federal Electrical Commission) personnel disconnected the electrical supply and the fire fighters extinguished the fire, and then normal electrical services were resumed.
Happy 44th anniversary to the state of Quintana Roo
There is an announcement about classes resuming normally on Tuesday morning.
Photos and caption of firefighters and other Civil Protection personnel clearing the storm drains, and they ask that residents don't put their trash to the street during the storm, since it can obstruct the drains and cause flooding.
Isla Mujeres without affectations from passage of Hurricane Michael
Sunset photos
The federal zone agency, ZOFEMAT, extended an invitation to the town's entrepreneurs, merchants, members of the fishing and tourism cooperatives and unions, and the general public to join in the cleaning of the north coast of North Beach, where a great deal of sargasso arrived due to the passage of Tropical Storm Michael. As we all know, we all make our living from tourism and it is necessary for the community and the government to join together to get ahead, and for this reason everyone is invited to participate in removal of the sargasso tomorrow, Tuesday, starting at 7am. (photos)
VIDEO The wind makes the audio difficult, but this is the director of the ZOFEMAT (Federal Zone) agency talking about the clean-up of the sargasso that Michael brought to the northern area of Playa Norte, which includes bringing in City employees from other departments and an invitation to the islanders to participate this morning (Tuesday) starting at 7am. They will have increased personnel and increased efforts continuing throughout the week.
VIDEO of sargasso along sections of North Beach
Notice from about 3p Monday that the port remained closed for small boats and open for the cargo and passenger ferries (with photos)
Municipal departments continue doing preventative work which included cleaning beaches and streets, removing items that could become projectiles, as well as removing trash. Civil Protection personnel were cleaning storm drains.
Notices about the Yellow Alert, the suspension of daycare services on Monday at CENDI, and notices about Michael. Articles, videos, and photos similar to those above concerning the weather and the municipal response and advice, as well as the nautical suspensions due to the weather.
Professors from the Universidad del Caribe have proposed that the Salina Lakes of Isla Mujeres be made into a tourist attraction by cleaning and reactivating them.
Noti Isla Mujeres
Similar information as above, including that classes are resuming normally today and there was a "Saldo Blanco" (no incidents) for "Michael", according to the Director of Civl Protection
The president of Ultramar says they are considering raising their rates because they have been absorbing the rising fuel costs. He was interviewed at the 43rd Interferry Conference in Cancun, which deals with issues of maritime safety and improving fuel efficiency. (Shared from NotiCaribe by Noti Isla Mujeres)
Notice of Happy Anniversary to the state of Quintana Roo VIDEO from Governor
IM Noticias
Celebration of Fishermen's Day, Tuesday, Oct. 9 at the Fishermen's monument at 4pm, and the fishermen will each receive a bag from the City containing a raincoat, cap, and shirt. The event will include a commemoration for those who lost their lives at sea with placement of a wreath in the Bay.
Similar information, photos, videos, advisories etc. concerning Michael,
During the celebration of the 60th anniversary of middle school, Benito Juarez, there will be only 3 hours of classes Monday thru Thursday and none on Friday. (Posted Friday)
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From por esto Link to their Isla Mujeres articles & photos
Click on the headline for link to each article
Massive amounts of sargasso arrived to North Beach
Arribo masivo de sargazo en Playa Norte
After massive amounts of sargasso began arriving on areas of North Beach, cleaning began immediately by employees of nearby businesses and city workers, and will continue during the week, with a massive effort planned for Tuesday, which could continue on Wednesday.
On the west side, there was some beach erosion near the restaurant "Chichis", which is an area that has already lost about 1000 square meters.
Planing suspension of ferries at noon (which wasn't necessary)
Suspendieron cruces a medio día
Strong waves
Olas embistieron fuerte
There was large surf on the east side of the isle, causing concerns about the effects of the strong waves on the cliff areas that have been suffering erosion and/or were affected in previous hurricanes.State handball team finishes fourth in National Championship
Destacado sitio en el handball
Most of the players on the state handball team are young players from Isla Mujeres, and the team has two more games scheduled before the end of the year. Their technical director thanked all their supporters and contributors who made is possible for them to compete in the tournament in Zacatecas. They have a national level game at the end of October in Merida, and at the end of the year they will travel to Guatemala for a Central American tournament. There are nine players on the team who are from Isla Mujeres, whose names are given.Yesterday...
Authorities monitoring the changing weather
Autoridades atentas a cambios climáticos
Expecting more rain and strong winds
Para hoy más lluvias y vientos casi huracanados
Oct 7 This is about forecasts for Tropical Storm Michael, and notes that on Sunday morning some boat owners and their crew members woke to find they needed to bail water out of their boats which were moored, while they were sheltering from effects of the storm. A "Saldo Blanco" was reported (no serious incidents). Tropical storm conditions were expected to begin arriving at the coast on Sunday afternoon or evening, making preparations difficult.Cancellation of ferry crossings
Cruces en barco cancelados
On Sunday at 1:30p, the Ultramar and Marinsa ferries temporarily suspended operations, due to winds that increased to 50 kph, however Naveganto continued to provide service until 5pm. (Ultramar must have resumed service on Sunday since they published an announcement that they would suspend operations at 9p & 9:30p that evening, and resume at 6:30a Monday, tho they resumed at ~8a Monday). The last scheduled vehicle ferry departed for Punta Sam at 6:30p, and all the ferries, including the passenger ferries to Puerto Juarez, were expected to resume operations on Monday after the storm passed.The Harbor Master said that suspension of ferry services on Sunday was being done in a staggered manner, according to the conditions of each boat. She explained that resumption of services on Monday would be dependent on the weather conditions.
Decreased tourism activity on the island
Poco movimiento turístico en la isla
Oct. 7 Tourism was decreased on Sunday, after the recreational tour boats stopped operating, due to Tropical Storm Michael, which caused cloudy skies and occasional rain.The ferries were operating between Puerto Juarez, Punta Sam, and the Cancun Hotel Zone, but only a minimum number of passengers were aboard. It was anticipated that ferry services could be suspended in the evening hours if winds increase, as forecast.Golf cart companies reported renting only about 20 percent of their inventory. There were no trips to Isla Contoy National Park for the second day. Some of the fishermen hoped to go out on Tuesday, while the majority expected to go out on Wednesday, however there is more rain in the forecast for Thursday, so many may be waiting for better conditions before hunting for lobster again.
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VIDEO from the Governor in Maya with captions in Spanish says: Quintana Roo, today you complete 44 years. Your people, your beautiful sunrises, your culture, your flora, your fauna: they make you incomparable. Quintana Roo, your greatness is infinite and pride inhabits the hearts of everyone who lives here. Happy Anniversary, Quintana Roo.
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| View from the rooms. |
MaraVilla Caribe Bed & Beach Three rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with kitchenettes & free WIFI. In the coastal neighborhood of Bachilleres, among upscale villas & boutique hotelitos, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate. Quiet & Private.
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| Kitchen in a large studio. (Sur & Norte are identical) |
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| Kitchenette in small room, Medio. There's a table & chairs across from it & a double bed. |
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| A large slider opens from each of the 3 rooms onto the patio where each has a table & chairs, hammock & clotheslines. The BBQ is behind the pole, and the outdoor shower is outa the pic at left. |
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| Large studio (Norte), I'm standing in the kitchen. A queen & single bed. |
Free amenities such as hammocks, BBQ grills, outdoor shower, portable beach chairs & beach towels, washer & dryer, loungers. Breathtaking panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio & our backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Upstairs room also available. Downtown is ~ a mile away; if you don't feel like walking, flag a $2 taxi. Parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then come home our quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres where you'll sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
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| Large studio (Sur) with Queen & Single bed. Slider door & view are behind me. |
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. Within ten minutes walk are a variety of restaurants including Mango Cafe, Brisas, Manolitos, La Chatita, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery , Chedraui. Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at hotelito Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores and small local restaurants. It takes 20-30 minutes to walk downtown.
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Full moon rising over the Caribbean
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Oct. 24 6:39 Oct. 25 7:21 Oct. 26 8:07 Oct. 27 8:58 Oct. 28 9:52 Oct. 29 10:51 Oct. 30 11:52 Painting by Pamela Haase Sunset ~6:30 to ~6:10p (beginning vs end of month) Sunrise ~6:40 |
October Events
Provided by MaraVilla Caribe & Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events
Plogging events to clean up the island are held on Saturdays LINK and here's the Accion Isla LINK who are having events associated with project RESCATE.
Monday, Oct. 1 Lighting of the pink lights at the Town Square for Breast Cancer Awareness Month at 8:30 pm
Sunday, Oct. 7 All Star Baseball game 11a at El Pescador stadium (in front of Chedraui).
Monday, Oct. 8: 43nd Anniversary of the Free & Sovereign State of Quintana Roo
Tuesday, Oct. 9 Day of Fishermen
Friday, Oct. 12 Dia de la Raza
Saturday, Oct. 13 Plogging Clean-up Event. Location TBA
Saturday, Oct. 20 Plogging Clean-up Event. Location TBA
Sunday, Oct. 21, starting at 7am at Playa Centro, the Pink Race. 1km, 5km, and 10km.
Funds will be used to help women obtain testing for timely detection of breast cancer.
Sunday, Oct. 21 Anniversary of the birth of Ramon Bravo
Saturday, Oct. 27 Plogging Clean-up Event. Location TBA
Wednesday, Oct. 31 Halloween on Hidalgo after dark. Bring lil toys & such and expect to be mobbed by cute kiddos & enjoy the clever costumes. There's also a golf cart/scooter procession planned with Chedraui as the meeting point at 6pm to toss treats & participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles and to wear costumes.
Thursday, Nov. 1 All Saint's Day Dia de los Muertos
Friday, Nov. 2 All Soul's Day Dia de los Muertos
At this time of year, Mexican families remember & celebrate their departed relatives. Hanal Pixan is the name of the Mayan celebration. Altars are made with photos of the deceased, where offerings of favorite foods and items are placed, copal incense is burned, and marigold flower petals are often used.
All Saints Day & All Souls Day, Nov. 1 & 2, are the Dias de los Muertos...one for children, one for adults, when families visit graves & clean & decorate them. On the island, these are private moments in the cemeteries, not public celebrations like in many parts of Mexico. Try some seasonal Pibi Pollo tamales & Pan de los Muertos pastry.
There is usually a silent procession from the Cemetery down Hidalgo, ending at the Casa de la Cultura, where there are usually altars representing various regions of Mexico, and a Catrina contest. Most of the participants in the procession are in catrina makeup or wearing regional clothing, and the rest are in white, and they carry candles.
Efforts are made to not let the Halloween overshadow the Mexican celebrations and traditions, and there are usually altar contests and/or exhibitions in the schools. There have also been competitions on the Town Square, and altars can be seen in various businesses, at the Town Hall and they are present in many homes.
Sources for Weather Information:
LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish)
LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish)
LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service (Yucatan peninsula is under Satellite GOES Este, I recommend "Animacion")
LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
LINK to Tropic Watch (in English)
LINK to NHC in US (in English)
LINK to Tropical Tidbits (in English)
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