Additional Coverage:
Hurricane Priscilla Strengthens in Pacific, Coastal Mexico on Alert
Hurricane Priscilla intensified into a hurricane on Sunday in the Pacific Ocean and is projected to continue strengthening through the upcoming week.
The storm system originated Saturday off Mexico’s west coast, prompting forecasts for dangerous surf and potential flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Priscilla’s trajectory over Pacific waters is expected to run parallel to the Mexican coastline.
Tropical storm watches have been issued for a significant stretch of the Mexican coast, encompassing areas from the southwestern state of Jalisco northward to the Baja California peninsula.
Priscilla’s Forecasted Path and Impacts
The NHC reported that Priscilla’s center is anticipated to remain offshore of Mexico’s southwestern coast, tracking parallel to the land through the early part of the week.
As of the NHC’s 8 p.m. ET update on Sunday, the hurricane was located approximately 285 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, near the resort town of Puerto Vallarta, and about 480 miles south-southeast of the southern tip of Baja California. The storm was moving north-northwestward at 3 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
While Priscilla is not currently forecast to make direct landfall, the NHC warned that tropical storm conditions, including powerful winds, were possible in areas under a tropical storm watch on Sunday and Monday.
Heavy rainfall and the risk of flash flooding are also expected across parts of southwestern Mexico through Monday. The NHC predicts rainfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches, with isolated totals up to 8 inches, across coastal Michoacán and far western Guerrero.
Additionally, 2 to 4 inches of rain are expected across Colima, western Jalisco, and the remainder of coastal Guerrero. This rainfall poses a significant risk of flash flooding, particularly in higher terrain.
Furthermore, Priscilla could generate potentially life-threatening surf conditions and rip currents along the coastal areas of southwestern Mexico and the Baja California peninsula. Forecasters advised that while some areas began to experience these effects on Sunday, they are expected to become more widespread by Monday.