If you are wondering: Will Hurricane Willa hit Puerto Vallarta? Click here for that answer.
7:13 a.m.
Hurricane Willa will make landfall as a category 4 hurricane, with very litttle weakening in the overnight hours. On the forecast track, the center of Willa will move near or over Las Islas Marias later this morning and afternoon, and make landfall within the hurricane warning area along the west-central coast of mainland Mexico late this afternoon or this evening.
Puerto Vallarta remains under a tropical storm warning.
1:05 a.m. Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Latest advisory shows a continued weakening of Hurricane Willa but still maintains Cat 4 strength. Puerto Vallarta remains under a tropical storm warning. The storm at its current speed and projection will make landfall at 7 PM on Tuesday evening between Northern Nayarit and Southern Sinaloa. Next full advisory at 3 AM local time.
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10:23 p.m.
Hurricane Willa remains at a Category 4 storm with an expected landfall near central and northern Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta. Willa is expected to weaken overnight before making landfall Tuesday afternoon. The largest threat to Puerto Vallarta is flooding as Hurricane Willa has the potential to move water into the Bay of Banderas, similar to the destruction caused by Hurricane Kenna in 2002 which took a similar track as Willa. As the storm approaches in the early morning hours of Tuesday a better idea of its potential impact on Puerto Vallarta will be known. Stay tuned to PVDN for the latest news and advisories.
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7:30 p.m.
Three thousand people have been evacuated and three shelters opened. Read report
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4:10 p.m.
Hurricane Willa has weakened slightly off Mexico’s Pacific Coast and is now a Category 4 storm, but remains “extremely dangerous” ahead of an expected landfall Tuesday.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Willa’s maximum sustained winds are now 155 mph (250 kph). That’s just 1 mph below the threshold for a Category 5 hurricane.
Regardless of category, the storm is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and rains over parts of west-central and southwestern Mexico.
A hurricane warning is in place for a stretch of coastline from San Blas to the popular resort city of Mazatlan, as well as the offshore Islas Marias, a set of islands that include a nature preserve and a federal prison.
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3:30 p.m.
The Governor of the State of Jalisco, Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz, informed that before the arrival of Hurricane Willa, which has already reached category 5, the evacuation of hotels in Puerto Vallarta would be done. This, as a security measure for tourists and workers; In addition, he added that the port is closed to navigation. Read report
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3:15 p.m.
The State Unit for Civil Protection and Firefighters of Jalisco (UEPCBJ) today issued recommendations for citizens in the proximity of Hurricane Willa, a category 5 storm along the coasts of Jalisco. Read report
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2:45 p.m.
Hurricane Willa has intensified into a Category 5 in the eastern Pacific Ocean and will threaten Mexico with destructive winds, life-threatening storm surge and flooding rainfall as it makes landfall on Tuesday. Read report
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12:35 p.m.
Due to the passage of hurricane ‘Willa’ along the coasts of Jalisco, the Ministry of Education (SEJ) announced the suspension of classes for this Monday, October 22, at the elementary and middle schools, located in the municipality of Puerto Vallarta. Read report
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9:50 a.m.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Willa has grown into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm on a track toward the Mexican coast south of Mazatlan.
Willa has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph (260 kph), though it’s projected to weaken somewhat before hitting land late Tuesday. It is still likely to be an extremely dangerous hurricane when it hits.
It’s located about 135 miles (215 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and is heading north at 7 mph (11 kph).
