Mexico’s National Weather Service (SMN) is warning that a tropical system brewing off the Pacific coast could rapidly intensify into a major hurricane within the next few days. According to the agency’s latest forecast, Tropical Depression 17-E is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday.
Category 3 storms are classified as “major hurricanes” on the Saffir-Simpson scale, meaning they can produce sustained winds of at least 111 mph (178 km/h) and cause significant structural damage.
Even before the storm reaches full hurricane strength, forecasters say its outer bands are already expected to dump heavy rain across several states along Mexico’s Pacific coastline. Officials note that the greatest danger to residents right now isn’t necessarily the wind, but the potential for flash flooding and landslides triggered by the intense rainfall, a common and often deadly hazard in Mexico’s mountainous coastal regions during hurricane season.
Authorities are urging residents in low-lying and hillside areas to stay alert to official updates as the system develops, since its exact path and strength could still shift in the coming days. Mexico’s Pacific coast, which includes popular tourist destinations and agricultural regions, regularly faces tropical storms and hurricanes between May and November.
For the full report and the latest storm tracking details, check out the original story from Reforma.
Source: Prevén que se forme huracán en el Pacífico el martes (Reforma).
Image: NASA Goddard Photo and Video, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).