Roslyn becomes a major hurricane in the eastern Pacific and is headed toward Mexico
Roslyn intensified into a Category 4 hurricane over the eastern Pacific as it neared Mexico’s west-central coast.
Roslyn developed into a strong Category 4 hurricane over the eastern Pacific on Saturday, and experts warned it is on course to make a direct hit on the western coast of Mexico with destructive winds and torrential rain.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, the hurricane, which had its beginnings as Tropical Depression 19-E on Wednesday, was about 150 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, at 11 a.m. EST on Saturday. It was moving 8 mph in a north-northwesterly direction and had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
In west-central Mexico, from Playa Perula to El Roblito, as well as for Las Islas Marias, there were hurricane warnings posted.
Roslyn is anticipated to move toward the north on Saturday before moving more quickly toward the north-northeast on Sunday, according to U.S. forecasters. According to the predicted path, the storm would proceed parallel to Mexico’s southwest coast through Saturday midday, then approach the coast of west-central Mexico, perhaps making landfall along the Nayarit coast on Sunday morning.
Roslyn is anticipated to still be close or at major hurricane status when it makes landfall on Sunday, despite some weakening being probable starting tonight, the weather experts cautioned.
The storm, the 17th named system of the season, would probably follow a similar route to Hurricane Orlene from earlier in the month, posing a serious risk to parts of western Mexico, according to AccuWeather experts.
Since Julia, migrated from the Atlantic basin, Roslyn is the first named storm to roam the East Pacific. Tropical Storm Paine, which formed in the open Pacific Ocean during the first week of October and never posed a threat to land, was the final storm to actually develop in the basin.
Forecasters claim Roslyn poses a substantial risk to parts of western Mexico, in contrast to Paine. Based on the anticipated effects from wind, rain, and storm surge flooding, AccuWeather meteorologists have assigned Roslyn a 2 for Mexico on the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty, “It is located in a zone of low, vertical wind shear and warm waters, which might aid in additional strengthening this weekend.”
He added that regardless of how intense the system is when it makes landfall, “flooding rain and mudslides are going to be a hazard.” Roslyn’s predicted path will put the system directly over the states of Sinaloa, Nayarit, and Jalisco on Sunday.
Parts of the Mexican shoreline are expected to experience the storm’s greatest rainfall during the weekend as it starts to head toward land. Particularly in locations that were directly struck by Hurricane Orlene in the first few days of October, the system’s heavy rainfall will immediately cause flooding problems.
In addition to causing local streams and rivers to expand, torrential rain can quickly cause flash floods in certain regions. According to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda, the heavy rains could cause severe mudslides and flooding in the steep terrain.
