Hurricane Willa now a Category 5 as it treads through the Pacific
Potentially catastrophic Hurricane Willa is expected to make landfall Tuesday.
In what was just a tropical depression only a few hours ago, Hurricane Willa has ruptured into a full-blown Category 5 hurricane in the 54 hours after its formation. From Sunday morning to Monday morning, Hurricane Willa strengthened by 80 mph in only 24 hours.
The potentially catastrophic hurricane is currently making its way through the Pacific heading for Mexico’s coastline. Willa is forecasted to make landfall on Tuesday along the southwestern coast of Mexico, hitting anywhere from Mazatlán to the north of Puerto Vallarta.
As of Monday morning, Willa’s maximum sustained winds were 160 mph and was located about 175 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, moving north at 7 mph.
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What to expect
Willa’s landfall will bring life-threatening winds, storm surge, and flooding rainfall. Hurricane warnings have been issued in Mexico from San Blas to Mazatlán, including Las Islas Marias. A tropical storm warning is in effect from Playa Perula to San Blas and from north of Mazatlán to Bahia Tempehuaya.
Hurricane Willa is likely to bring heavy rainfall to parts of Texas and potentially to areas along the Gulf Coast.
Coming two weeks after Hurricane Michael devastated the Florida panhandle, Willa is now the 10th major hurricane of the 2018 season. This record ties 1992 as the most major hurricanes ever seen in the NE Pacific in one year, and there’s still over a month left of the 2018 hurricane season.
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