Xalapa sits on or near Mexico’s Gulf coast, squarely within the Atlantic hurricane basin, where the wet season runs from roughly June through November and the heaviest rain typically arrives with tropical storms and hurricanes.
In the hills above the Veracruz coast, the city’s elevation adds a flash-flood dimension to the heavy rain that hurricanes bring inland. Storms making landfall on this stretch of coast can stall over the region’s rivers and produce extended, severe flooding well after the initial landfall, which is why Mexico’s Servicio Meteorologico Nacional leans heavily on radar during hurricane season. Learn more: Hurricane Season Radar Guide · Open the full Rain Map