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An intensifying and dangerous hurricane in the tropical part of the Pacific Ocean is expected to hit the west coast of Mexico on Tuesday.
With sustained winds of 160 mph and an estimated central pressure of 925 millibars, Hurricane Willa has reached "Catastrophic "Category 5 intensity on Monday morning, said the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is expected Tuesday between Mazatlan (north) and Puerto Vallarta (south). Although it is unlikely that Willa will reach these two population centers directly, there are several mid-sized cities nearby, such as Escuinapa, which has about 30,000 inhabitants.
Hurricane warnings extend from San Blas to Mazatlan along the Mexican coast, including Las Islas Marias. This area should expect a life-threatening storm surge, extreme hurricane force winds, and heavy rains as the storm roars inland.
"The inhabitants must speed up preparations to protect life and property and follow the advice given by local authorities," said the Hurricane Center.
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It is expected that the storm will slowly weaken before landing, but will remain a dangerous and major hurricane, category 3 or higher.
The Hurricane Center warned that hurricane force winds could spread from somewhere inland to coast and that precipitation could cause flash floods and landslides life-threatening in most of southwestern and west-central Mexico ".
Willa is slowly moving north at 7 mph. This slow movement is expected to continue in the short term, but over time the hurricane will accelerate.
"Willa is an extremely impressive hurricane in infrared and visible satellite imagery this morning," wrote the Hurricane Center in its latest update. Although the appearance may have somewhat deteriorated since its peak Sunday evening and early Monday morning, Willa still has a very well defined eye, surrounded by a ring of intense thunderstorms.
Willa may be starting a cycle of eyewall replacement, which tends to stabilize and even temporarily weaken storms when one wall collapses and another takes over .
After Willa arrives on the ground, it should be quickly torn by the wind shear and the relief of Mexico. Nevertheless, its remains should allow to create an important system of storms on the east coast in anticipation of the next weekend.
With a category 5 strength, Willa has become one of the strongest storms on Earth this year. He also continues to climb higher on the list of the most powerful hurricanes in the eastern East Pacific as he approaches the landing.
The rate of intensification of the storm was extreme, from a tropical storm at 40 mph to a 155 mph hurricane. in just 48 hours between Saturday and Monday (and from 100 to 160 mph in the last 24 hours).
Willa is the third category 5 hurricane to form in the eastern half of the Pacific Ocean in 2018, joining Hurricane Lane and Hurricane Walaka.
In what has become an overactive season in this region, Willa has quickly intensified in an area where storms have always been gaining intensity at this time of year.
Below you will find a map of all the major hurricanes that passed near the location of Willa, which became category 5. The most recent was Patricia in October 2015, which was the most powerful ever recorded.
Major hurricanes (category 3+) near the location of Hurricane Willa, which became a category 5. (NOAA)
Willa's is the tenth major hurricane to form in the northeastern Pacific Ocean this year. Until here, 2018 is tied with 1992 for the second largest hurricanes recorded in this region.
Jason Samenow of Capital Weather Gang contributed to this report.
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