Hurricane Willa moving closer to the Mexico coast

Although Hurricane Willa weakened yesterday from a Category 5 – to a Category 4 hurricane, it is still classified as dangerous for residents of Jalisco, Nayarit, Colima, Durango, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur.

Last night Willa remained a potentially catastrophic storm, with winds of 250 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 315 kilometers per hour. To measure its strength, “Patricia” hit three years ago as one of the most powerful hurricanes of recent decades and hit Jalisco with winds between 240 and 295 kilometers per hour.

Until last night, the Government of Jalisco reported the evacuation of 1,300 people and the installation of 23 shelters in a dozen municipalities, mainly in Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes and Tomatlán.

Governor Aristóteles Sandoval confirmed that the State is ready to serve the population. They also suspended classes in 265 schools in Cihuatlan, La Huerta, Tomatlan, Cuautitlan, Villa Purificación, Cabo Corrientes, Mascota, San Sebastian del Oeste and Puerto Vallarta, in which 116,693 students study.

Where will Hurricane Willa hit?

Hurricane Willa is expected to make landfall in the afternoon-evening hours today near the border area of Nayarit and Sinaloa, north of Puerto Vallarta.

The federal government applies preventive measures before the arrival, describing the hurricane as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane.

The hurricane developed sustained winds of 260 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 315 kilometers per hour, which are generating storms in Jalisco, Colima, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and Durango, with the expectation of landfall today.

Given the danger of the phenomenon, the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, ordered the installation of the National Emergency Committee so that the Federal Government and the States where it is expected to impact in the coming hours take preventive measures of support and assistance to the population.

Peña Nieto asked the media to give support in the alerts and the population recommended to be attentive to the notices of the authorities for their protection.

He noted that “Willa” strengthens by interacting with tropical storm “Vicente”, which also moves parallel to the South Coast of Mexico and is expected to make landfall within the next 48 hours.

On its way through the coast of Oaxaca, the rains of “Vicente” caused the death of 11 people, confirmed the coordinator of State Civil Protection, Heliodoro Díaz.

The general director of the National Water Commission (Conagua), Roberto Ramírez, confirmed that “Willa” advances at 11 kilometers per hour in the direction of South Sinaloa and North of Nayarit.

The system causes waves of more than six meters in the Coasts of Jalisco and more than three meters in Colima, while on Tuesday it will be up to 10 meters in the Coasts of Nayarit and Sinaloa, particularly in the municipality of Mazatlan.

“The center of ‘Willa’ will enter ashore in the vicinity of the municipality of Escuinapa, in the South of Sinaloa, on Tuesday evening, and we expect it to enter as category 3 hurricane,” said Ramírez.