Hurricane Trudy threatened Mexico’s western coast with heavy rain on Saturday as it maintained its strength, with forecasters warning of possible intensification before it weakens on Sunday.
The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said Trudy was about 190 miles (305 km) south-southeast of Manzanillo early on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 km/h).
The hurricane was moving at approximately 8 mph (13 km/h) and was forecast to approach southwestern and west-central Mexico later on Saturday before passing near the coast overnight into Sunday.
According to the NHC, hurricane conditions were expected in the warning area on Saturday night, while tropical storm conditions were forecast to spread across the region during the day. Hurricane conditions were also possible in areas under a hurricane watch.
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Trudy was expected to bring between four and eight inches (10 to 20 cm) of rain to parts of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco over the weekend, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to 15 inches of rainfall.
The NHC warned that the heavy rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas.
Outer rain bands were also expected to bring between two and four inches of rain to Guerrero and Nayarit, with isolated totals of about six inches, raising the risk of localised flash flooding.
The hurricane could also cause coastal flooding due to storm surges in areas exposed to onshore winds, accompanied by large and destructive waves, the NHC said.
Swells generated by Trudy were already affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and were expected to spread northwards towards the west-central coast over the weekend.
The NHC warned that the swells could create life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along affected coastal areas.
Reuters
