Barry — 2025

A broad area of low pressure that formed over the Yucatan Peninsula moved into the Bay of Campeche and became a tropical depression on 28 June 2025 about 115 n mi east of Veracruz. The system strengthened to Tropical Storm Barry on 29 June and reached its peak early that evening. Strong wind shear soon removed the storm’s deep thunderstorms, and Barry moved generally westward into eastern Mexico, dissipating over the mountains by midday 30 June after making landfall. Barry made a single landfall in Veracruz about 15 n mi south of Tampico at about 0200 UTC on 30 June 2025. By the time of landfall the system had weakened to a tropical depression with estimated sustained winds of 30 kt (about 35 mph) and a central pressure near 1009 mb. The storm’s maximum intensity occurred at 1800 UTC 29 June with sustained winds of 40 kt (about 46 mph) and a minimum pressure of 1006 mb. Barry remained a modest tropical storm at peak and never reached hurricane strength. Heavy rain and flooding were the main hazards. Large portions of Tamaulipas and Veracruz received more than 5 inches (125 mm) of rain from 29 June to 1 July. The highest reported totals included 17.99 inches (457 mm) at San Gabriel, Tamaulipas; 14.65 inches (372.0 mm) at Ángel Rosario Cabada, Veracruz; and 11.63 inches (295.5 mm) at Sabinas, Tamaulipas. Coastal storm surge observations were limited; a Mexican naval station on Lobos Island measured a pressure fall and wind shift near landfall, supporting the landfall estimate, but specific widespread surge heights were not reported in the data. Barry caused at least eight direct fatalities in Mexico, all from flooding or being swept away: four people drowned in vehicles swept away (three in Santa María del Río and one in Ahualulco), two drowned in the Tampaón River in Tamuín, and two drowned in rough surf near Veracruz. No indirect deaths were reported. Damage in Mexico was at least $5.64 million (USD), with thousands of homes and multiple schools flooded, roads and highways damaged or destroyed, evacuations, and suspended classes across Tamaulipas, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, and Puebla. Notable aspects include that Barry’s formation was not well anticipated far in advance—the first Tropical Weather Outlook mentioning the parent wave appeared only about 42 hours before genesis—though the location of genesis was accurately forecast. NHC track and intensity forecast errors for this short-lived system were smaller than recent 5-year means at many time periods, and reconnaissance aircraft and multiple satellite data sources were important for determining the storm’s peak intensity and landfall characteristics.