Ciudad Juarez sits in Mexico’s arid northern desert region, where a dry climate keeps annual rainfall low, but the North American Monsoon brings a short but intense rainy season from July through September.
Across the border from El Paso on the Rio Grande, the city’s desert terrain means the rare intense summer storm can overwhelm drainage built for a much drier norm. Because the desert landscape sheds water quickly rather than absorbing it, monsoon thunderstorms can produce flash flooding well out of proportion to the region’s usual dryness, and Mexico’s Servicio Meteorologico Nacional radar network is a key tool for tracking these fast-developing storms. Learn more: Flash Flood Warning Signs on Radar · Open the full Rain Map