Hurricane Roslyn is expected to bring high winds and heavy rainfall to west-central Mexico as it passes near the Pacific Coast on Saturday, forecasters said.
Residents in affected areas, including the popular resort town of Puerto Vallarta and other coastal towns in Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa, have been asked to complete preparations for the storm because of strong winds. The storm is expected to make landfall on Sunday morning.
Roslyn became a Category 4 hurricane on Saturday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center, which means its wind speed is between 130 and 156 miles per hour. At 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, the storm was about 155 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco, the agency said.
The storm’s center is forecast to move north, parallel to the southwestern coast of Mexico, on Saturday before approaching west-central Mexico, where it is expected to make landfall along the coast of Mexico. The Mexican state of Nayarit on Sunday morning.
“Although some weakening may begin tonight, Roslyn is expected to remain near or at major hurricane intensity when it makes landfall on Sunday,” According to the National Hurricane Center.
Read more about extreme weather
Las Islas Marias, an archipelago of four islands off the coast of Nayarit, and the area from Playa Perula in northern Jalisco to El Roblito in Nayarit lies under storm warning, issued 36 hours before the onset of tropical storm winds and means hurricane conditions will occur. People with a hurricane warning should take all storm precautions and be prepared to receive evacuation orders. Strong winds are forecast in this area this afternoon.
The storm warning, issued 48 hours before the predicted tropical storm winds, were in effect from El Roblito northward to Mazatlán in Sinaloa state. Forecasters said the area could face stormy conditions on Sunday.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect from Playa Perula south to Manzanillo, where tropical storm conditions are expected Saturday, and from El Roblito north to Mazatlán, where storms are expected. tropical on Sunday.
Governor of Jalisco State, Enrique Alfaro, say on Twitter that school and tourist activities were suspended in coastal cities for the weekend. About 270 people have been evacuated from the town of La Huerta as a precaution, he said, and shelters have been established there and in Puerto Vallarta.
Significant coastal flooding is expected near and east of where the storm makes landfall.
As of 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Roslyn’s maximum sustained winds had reached 130 mph with gusts even higher. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen on Saturday and become or close to a major hurricane – ie Category 3 or higher – when it makes landfall. The weakest major storms can damage homes, break and uproot trees, while the strongest can destroy homes and cause catastrophic damage that isolates communities.
Forecasters warn rain could lead to flash floods and landslides in areas with rough terrain.
In Jalisco, 4 to 8 inches of rain is expected, with a maximum of 10 inches along the north coast. On the upper coast of Colima, west of Nayarit, and southeast of Sinaloa, 4 to 6 inches of rain is expected, with a maximum of 8 inches. In Michoacán, the lower coast of Colima and South Durango, 1 to 3 inches of rain is expected.
Roslyn is expected to weaken rapidly after landfall, as it moves through the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental.
The link between hurricanes and climate change is getting clearer every year. The data show that The storm has become stronger all over the world during the past four decades. A warming planet can expect stronger storms over time and a higher proportion of the strongest storms, although the total number of hurricanes could be reduced because factors such as stronger wind shear could cause weaker storms to form.
Hurricanes also become wetter due to more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere. Scientists have suggested that storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 generates much more rainfall than would otherwise be possible for the human impact on the climate. In addition, rising sea levels also contribute to higher tides, the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.
