Tropical Storm Cristina Forms in the Pacific: Track, Affected Countries and More

Tropical Storm Cristina formed Monday in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Nicaragua, according to forecasters. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 km/h. At the time of the advisory, Cristina was located about 160 kilometers west-southwest of Managua, Nicaragua, and roughly 275 kilometers southeast of San Salvador, El Salvador.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Puerto Sandino to the border between Guatemala and El Salvador. Officials warned that the system could bring heavy rain to parts of Central America, increasing the risk of flooding and mudslides in vulnerable areas.

Cristina was forecast to produce 102 to 203 millimeters of rainfall across coastal areas of Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala through Thursday, with isolated maximum totals of around 305 millimeters possible in some locations. Forecasters said the rain threat could be significant even if the storm remained offshore, given the amount of moisture expected to move inland.

The storm became the second tropical system in the eastern Pacific to draw attention this week. Another storm, Tropical Storm Boris, was spinning off Mexico’s coast on Monday and was expected to make landfall in Mexico on Tuesday. The presence of two storms in the region highlighted an active stretch in the eastern Pacific hurricane season.

Cristina’s track and impacts were being closely monitored as it moved near the Central American coastline. While the storm’s winds were relatively modest, its rainfall posed the greater danger, especially in low-lying and mountainous areas where runoff can quickly trigger flooding and landslides. Residents in the warning zone were urged to stay alert to official updates as conditions evolved.

Forecasters continued to track the storm’s movement and expected rainfall totals as Central American countries prepared for potentially disruptive weather.