Category 1 Hurricane Estelle was set to intensify on Monday, causing heavy rain on much of the southwest Pacific coast, with the worst damage forecast for Sinaloa. But the center of the storm is predicted to remain well offshore.
Intense rain is predicted in that state, where the National Water Commission (Conagua) is warning of possible landslides and floods. Intense rain is forecast for Nayarit and Jalisco, and heavy rain is forecast in Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán and Morelos.
Gales of 50–70 kilometers per hour are likely in Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima, which could all see waves of up to four meters high.
Storms should arrive later in the day in central Mexico with heavy rain, hail and thunderstorms possible in Mexico City, México state and Guanajuato. Sonora is also likely to see very heavy rain on Monday.
At 10 a.m. CDT on Monday, Hurricane Estelle was about 90 kilometers south of the Revillagigedo Islands, which lie some 600 kilometers off the coast, and was heading west-northwest at 22 kph. Maximum sustained winds were 130 kph.
Conagua urged people to take precautions and to follow official guidance.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a public advisory on Monday that “Swells generated by Estelle … are likely to continue for another day or two and could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
The NHC added that there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.
Civil Protection in Colima has urged people in Armería, Tecomán and Manzanillo to respect the red flag signs on beaches and to follow the instructions of lifeguards.
With reports from Milenio
