Pallade Veneta - Mexico heavy rains kill at least 28

Mexico's civil defense authorities reported intense rainfall in 31 of 32 states, causing rivers to overflow, flooding entire villages, triggering landslides and collapsing roads and bridges.

The central state of Hidalgo has been among the worst-affected areas, with authorities there reporting at least 16 dead, 1,000 homes damaged and 90 communities inaccessible to rescuers.

Authorities in the neighboring Puebla state said at least nine people have died there, but the toll could still rise as more are missing.

Around 80,000 people have been affected by the extreme weather in Puebla alone, the state government said.

Floods have killed two people in the eastern Veracruz and another in Queretaro, in the center.

"We are working to support the population, reopen roads and get the power back on," President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X after a meeting with local officials and members of her cabinet.

She added that thousands of troops, as well as boats, planes and helicopters have been deployed to assist the rescue efforts.

Laura Velazquez, the national coordinator for civil defense, said the affected states had experienced landslides, overflowing rivers and road collapses.

The military will help distribute aid in affected areas, with more than 5,400 troops deployed, along with rescue equipment and vehicles.

Shelters were open for those displaced from their homes.

The main disaster area has been Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range that runs parallel to the Gulf of Mexico coast.

It is dotted by small communities, many of which were blocked off on Friday.

An AFP team in Tulancingo, a city in Hidalgo state that is the main access point to many mountain villages, saw roads leading to Sierra Madre Oriental closed off due to landslides and collapses.

Meteorologist Isidro Cano told AFP that the intense rainfall since Thursday was caused by a seasonal shift and cloud formation as warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico rises to the mountaintops.

A cold front traveling from the north has also increased rainfall across much of the country, the expert added.

Authorities in areas off the Pacific coast are keeping a close eye on tropical storms Raymond and Priscilla -- which was downgraded from a Category 2 hurricane.

Both storms are currently far from the coast, but have been dumping heavy rains on Mexico's west, causing damage in Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Michoacan states.

Raymond is expected to hit the southern part of Baja California over the weekend, according to the US National Hurricane Center. It is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression by Sunday.

H.Lagomarsino--PV