Hurricane Lidia intensified into a Category 4 cyclone late Tuesday as it made landfall in Mexico, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rains forecasted to possibly trigger mudslides and severe flooding.
An updated advisory issued by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) detailed that Lidia had strengthened into "an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane" just hours before it was due to make landfall.
"Recent satellite data indicate that Lidia has continued to rapidly strengthen and has estimated maximum winds near 140 mph (220 km/h)," an earlier alert revealed, warning additional strengthening is possible.
Lidia made landfall with 140 mph winds some 35 miles southwest of the coastal resort of Mexico's Puerto Vallarta, a beach town located in the state of Jalisco, on the Bahia de Banderas. Authorities in the area earlier canceled classes due to the forecasted weather.
At present, the NHC listed Lidia as moving at a pace of 17 mph and with downgraded wind speeds of 105 mph.
The center has issued a hurricane warning alert for Las Islas Marias, and the areas located from Manzanillo to El Roblito, whereas a tropical storm warning was implemented to site from El Roblito to Mazatlan, and Punta San Telmo to Manzanillo.
“Additional strengthening is forecast and Lidia will likely be at or near major hurricane strength when it reaches the coast. Rapid weakening is expected after Lidia moves Inland,” the Hurricane Center wrote in an earlier statement.
According to the center, a hurricane warning “means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 6 to 12 hours” and therefore, “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.”
Lidia is also expected to bring totals of 4 to 8 inches of rain across western Mexico in the states of: Nayarit, the southern region of Sinaloa, and some coastal parts of Jalisco. The NHC warns rains will likely produce flash and urban flooding, as well as possible mudslides in areas with higher terrain near the coast.
The hurricane will also cause storm surges along the coastline, with large, dangerous waves and coastal flooding as well as surf swells that may cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. These swells will affect the west coast of Mexico as well as the Baja California peninsula over the next few days.
Hurricane Roslyn, a Category 4 storm, made landfall in Nayarit in late October of last year. Roslyn caused the direct deaths of at least three people in that state.
“That was a much more significant system,” meteorolgist Alex DaSilva remarked earlier. “While we don’t expect it to be of that strength, we are always concerned about the flooding downpours.”
Earlier this year, the US State Department urged American travelers to “reconsider” visiting the beach and tourist hub of Puerto Vallarta due to “violent crime and gang activity” that saw a spike in reportings.