Hurricane Willa - LIVE: ‘Life-threatening’ Category 5 storm on track to hit Mexico with Texas also under threat

Welcome to The Independent's live coverage on Hurricane Willa as the storm approaches Mexico's western coastline. Please provide a moment for the live blog to load as updates arrive throughout the day. 

Hurricane Willa maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (255 kph) — the same windspeed Hurricane Michael had at landfall in Florida — and was centered about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of the Islas Marias and 175 miles (280 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes. It was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).

Hurricane force winds extended 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the storm's core and tropical storm force winds were up to 90 miles (150 kilometers) out.

The hurricane centre said 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain should fall — and some places could see up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) — on parts of western Jalisco, western Nayarit and southern Sinaloa states. It warned of the danger of flash flooding and landslides in mountainous areas.

AP

Hurricane Willa was expected to develop into a Category 5 storm by Monday afternoon as it continued on its path towards Mexico. The potentially catastrophic storm arrives amid one of the most act hurricane seasons in the eastern Pacific Ocean since 1971. 

The storm sustained winds of 155 miles per hour by early Monday, up from just 40 miles per hour nearly 48 hours earlier, according to the US National Weather Service. The agency warned on Twitter that Hurricane Willa “Willa is another example of rapid intensification in a tropical cyclone.  Wind shear will weaken the storm slightly before landfall [Tuesday], but Willa will bring life-threatening storm surge and winds to the Mexico coast."

A hurricane warning was posted for Mexico's western coast between San Blas and Mazatlan, including the Islas Marias, a nature reserve and federal prison directly in the forecast track of Hurricane Willa.

Tropical storm warnings ranged from Playa Perula north to San Blas and from Mazatlan north to Bahia Tempehuaya. The center said Willa is expected make landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

AP

Hurricane Willa could potentially threaten parts of Texas as the near-Category 5 storm barrels towards west Mexico, with analysts predicting it could make landfall as early as Tuesday night. 

Texas was badly hit with flooding last week after the Buchanan dam opened, as seen in the video below. More heavy rainfall for the region could produce major damage. 

As Hurricane Willa continues strengthening in the eastern Pacific Ocean, analysts warn the near-Category 5 hurricane could be intense when it reaches landfall by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. 

Hurricane Willa was previously expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm, but the quickly intensifying hurricane has sustained winds just two miles per hour short of being considered a Category 5 hurricane. 

The storm was expected to make landfall in the San Cayetano area, causing heavy rainfall and potentially life-threatening floods to surrounding areas. 

Here’s how Hurricane Willa could impact Texas as it makes landfall as either a Category 4 or Category 5 storm by early Wednesday. The storm arrives amid an unusually active hurricane season in the eastern Pacific Ocean. 

The US National Hurricane Centre estimated that total rainfall would range from 5 to 15 inches (12.5 cm to 38.1 cm) across stretches of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, home to the white sand beach resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Vicente, which formed in the Pacific off southern Mexico on Saturday, began to weaken while hovering along the southern Mexican coast on Sunday and by early Monday was located about 195 miles (310 km) southeast of Acapulco.

It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and the center of the storm would likely remain just offshore or near the southern coast of Mexico through Tuesday morning, according to the NHC.

Reuters