Tropical Storm Nora, gathering strength as it approaches the coast of Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit, was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday.

A hurricane warning is in effect between Manzanillo, Colima, and San Blas, Nayarit, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The center of the storm will pass very close to or over the western part of Jalisco Saturday evening, the NHC said. Torrential rains can be expected beginning Saturday in Jalisco, Colima and Michoacán, the National Water Commission said early Saturday.

The storm was located about 225 kilometres south of Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, at 10:00 a.m. CDT and was moving north at 19 kmh with maximum sustained winds of 130 kmh.

The Mexican government has declared a hurricane watch between San Blas and Topolobampo, Sinaloa, while tropical storm warnings are in effect for south of Manzanillo to Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, and from north of San Blas to La Paz, Baja California Sur.

Between Sunday and Tuesday Nora is expected to move at a slower speed toward the north-northwest and northwest, bringing the center of the hurricane into the mouth of the Gulf of California on Sunday and into southern portions of the gulf on Monday and Tuesday.

Mexico News Daily