Hurricane Willa on verge of becoming Category 5 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) Newly formed Hurricane Willa rapidly gained force and grew into an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm in the Pacific off Mexico on Sunday, with a potential to make landfall on a western stretch of coast between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta in the coming days.

The US National Hurricane Center said the storm was “forecast to produce life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over portions of southwestern and west-central Mexico beginning on Tuesday.”

A hurricane warning was posted for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan, while a tropical storm warning was in effect from Playa Perula to San Blas and Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya.

Hurricane force winds extended out 25 miles from the storm’s core and tropical storm force winds were up to 90 miles out. Willa was about 210 miles (340 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes late Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph).