Hurricane Willa Intensifies as it Barrels Towards Mexico’s Western Coast

Mexico’s western coast between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta is on high alert as forecasters warn that Hurricane Willa has become an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm in the eastern Pacific.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said early Monday that Willa, currently with maximum sustained winds near 155 mph, could “produce life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over portions of southwestern and west-central Mexico.”

The hurricane center said the storm may strengthen to a Category 5 hurricane later this morning, before some weakening occurs tonight into Tuesday, though “Willa is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it reaches the coast of Mexico.”

Willa is forecast to accelerate toward the north-northeast and move over or very near the Islas Marias early Tuesday and make landfall along the southwestern coast of mainland Mexico late Tuesday or Tuesday night.

From 40 mph Tropical Storm to 155 mph Hurricane in 48hrs, Willa is another example of rapid intensification in a tropical cyclone. Wind shear will weaken the storm slightly before landfall Tue, but Willa will bring life-threatening storm surge and winds to the Mexico coast. pic.twitter.com/9jR73rxuk0

— NWS (@NWS) October 22, 2018

About 6 to 12 inches of rain are expected – and some places could see up to 18 inches – on parts of Mexico’s western Jalisco, western Nayarit and southern Sinaloa states, raising the danger of flash flooding and landslides in mountainous areas.

A hurricane warning was posted for Mexico’s western coast between San Blas and Mazatlan, including Las Islas Marias. Tropical storm warnings were raised from Playa Perula to San Blas and north of Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya.