Cancun, Nov 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Officials have issued a hurricane watch for coastal Louisiana and Mississippi. Whereas Hurricane Ida swept the resort city of Cancun on Sunday, with heavy-duty rains and high velocity winds.

According to latest reports, at 1200 pm cst, 1800 utc, a hurricane watch has been issued for East of the Mississippi/Alabama border up to Mexico beach, Florida. A hurricane watch is now in effect from Grand Isle Louisiana to Mexico beach, Florida. However it may be made clear that this particular Hurricane Watch does not include the city of New Orleans.

A hurricane watch implies that hurricane-like and its favorable conditions are possible within the specified watch area, and that too within the time span of 36 hours. Adequate safety measures and other preparations to protect life and property should be made in the hurricane watch as soon as possible, so that there is minimal or no damage to life and property at all.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Playa del Carmen up to Cabo Catoche. Meanwhile a tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Punta Allen northward to Playa del Carmen up to Cabo Catoche westward to San Felipe. And a tropical storm warning also remains in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar Del Rio, and also for the Isle of Youth.

Hurricane force winds are expected to extend outward up to 15 miles, 30 km, from the center, and tropical storm force winds are expected to extend outward up to 140 miles, 220 km. The minimum central pressure just reported by the hurricane is 978 mb, 28.88 inches.

Ida is expected to produce total rain accumulations of around 3 to 5 inches over portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba, with possible isolated maximum amounts of up to 10 inches too.

Rains will be lashing across the central and eastern gulf coast, much before the arrival of the Hurricane Ida, and will also become steadier and heavier till Tuesday. Total storm accumulations of 3 to 5 inches with isolated maximum storm totals of 8 inches will be possible through Tuesday from the central and eastern gulf coast.