Travel Alert Issued for Hurricane Season

Travelers packing their swimsuits and sunscreen for the summer’s hottest tropical destinations may have one other thing to worry about besides sunburn. The U.S. State Department issued a hurricane and typhoon warning to travelers for the coming months.

The specific regions that fall under this weather warning include the Atlantic Basin (i.e., the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea), where there is a 70 percent chance of at least 11 storms with wind gusts of 39 mph or more. At least five of these may produce winds of 74 mph or more, elevating them to hurricane status.

The second region affected by this warning is the Eastern Pacific, which covers western Mexico and northern Central America. Finally, the Western and Central Pacific regions of Hawai’i, China, Japan and other Asian nations should be on alert for typhoon season, which typically runs from the beginning of June to the end of November.

Before departing, travelers should sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates about imminent danger in the region of travel. Travelers also may want to consider purchasing travel insurance in case plans need to change due to inclement weather.