Hurricane Willa is now part of the Category 5 storm on the Mexican Pacific coast: latest information on trajectory, routes and weather conditions – Live Updates

MEXICO – Hurricane Willa, which has just formed, quickly intensified off the Mexican Pacific coast on Sunday and early Monday, becoming a major Category 5 storm, the National Hurricane Center announced. At 11 am ET, Willa had sustained maximum winds of 160 mph – only 3 mph above the threshold for a category 5.

Willa was "potentially catastrophic," forecasters warned. The hurricane center said it could hit the southwestern coast of Mexico Tuesday night or Wednesday morning and create a life-threatening storm wave, especially near the south of where the center Willa touches the ground.

Near the coast, the wave will be accompanied by significant and destructive waves. Willa is also expected to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall.

"While some weakening is expected from here tonight and Tuesday, Willa is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it will reach the shores of Mexico late Tuesday or early Wednesday," said the center.

The center reported that Willa was about 175 miles south-southwest of Las Islas Marias, Mexico, and about 135 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, heading for the north at a speed of about 7 mph.

Hurricane winds extending outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical storm winds extending outward to 105 km. miles.

A hurricane warning was posted on a stretch of shoreline between San Blas and Mazatlan. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Playa Perula in San Blas and north of Mazatlan in Bahia Tempehuaya.

According to forecasters, Willa is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with local quantities of up to 18 inches, on parts of western Jalisco, western Nayarit and South Sinaloa Mexico. Rainfall could cause flash floods and life-threatening landslides.

Further inland, Willa is expected to produce rainfall ranging from 2 to 4 inches over portions of Zacateca, Durango, Chihuahua-Southeast and Coahuila in Mexico, with local quantities of up to 6 inches. This could cause flash floods that are life threatening.

After Willa crossed Mexico, it could rain between 1 and 3 inches of rain in central and southern Texas in the middle of the week, reports CBS News meteorologist Jeff Berardelli. Additional rainfall could cause additional flooding in already saturated areas.

Peter Martinez contributed to this report.