Mexican weather authorities on Tuesday said that Hurricane Zeta has made landfall on the south-eastern coast of Mexico.
The authorities said the eye of the storm reached the mainland with wind speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour (kph) near the city of Tulum in the state of Quintana Roo.
Authorities warned of heavy rainfall and waves of up to 7 metres along the affected coastal area on the Yucatan Peninsula adding that the storm is now moving northeast at a speed of around 20 kph.
The U.S. Hurricane Centre said Zeta would move over the southern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, and approach the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday.
The hurricane warning area extends from Tulum to Dzilam, including Cozumel.
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In other parts of the Yucatan Peninsula and in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, a tropical storm warning was in force.
In Quintana Roo, which is popular among tourists, the authorities prepared more than 70 shelters in case people needed to be evacuated during rain and wind.
The maritime transport of passengers and cargo were suspended in the north, as well as many economic activities in Cancun and other localities.
In the neighbouring state of Yucatan, school classes were cancelled.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June to November, has been so intense it exhausted the pre-determined list of 21 first names and led to storms being named after letters of the Greek alphabet.
In early October, hurricane Delta made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, causing flooding, power outages and uprooting trees.
