Richard weakens to a tropical storm over Guatemala

CANCUN, Mexico – Tropical storm Richard continued to lose strength on Monday as it moved across northern Guatemala and headed to Mexico’s Bay of Campeche, where it was expected to weaken further.

Richard dumped moderate rains in the Caribbean resort city Cancun and was not expected to disrupt regional oil production. Some 200 villagers were returning home after being relocated to shelters over the weekend, local authorities said.

The storm was expected to become a tropical depression before it entered Mexico’s Bay of Campeche on Monday night or early Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour (75 kph), was centered about 155 miles (250 km) southeast of Campeche, Mexico. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).

The storm would likely not strengthen again once it entered the Gulf of Mexico at the Bay of Campeche, the Miami-based hurricane center said. The bay produces more than two-thirds of Mexico’s 2.6 million barrels-per-day of crude output.

Mexico’s state oil company, Pemex, said it was operating normally but keeping an eye on the storm. As of Sunday night, it had not evacuated any workers and vessels continued to service the main oil platforms in the area.

In September, Hurricane Karl forced a brief shutdown of 14 minor Mexican wells in the Gulf, with no significant impact on production.

Most computer forecasting models suggest the storm would steer clear of major oil installations in the U.S. Gulf.

Richard is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches (8-15 cm) of rain across northern Guatemala and the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and Campeche, the hurricane center said.

It made landfall on Sunday just south of Belize City, blowing roofs off houses and knocking out electricity as tourists and residents huddled in emergency shelters.

The government of Belize reported no injuries or deaths from the storm, which came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane, the lowest rank on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale.

Richard threatened to cause floods and mudslides as it crossed through northern Guatemala, though the head of the country’s coffee growers’ association said the coffee crop would probably not be affected.

Richard was the 10th hurricane of the busy 2010 Atlantic storm season. Five of those hurricanes have been major, but the United States has escaped a significant landfall so far.