Major Hurricane Roslyn nears Mexico's Pacific coast

Communities along the west coast of Mexico prepare for Hurricane Roslyn, a major Category 4 storm, as US National Hurricane Center warns of potentially damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and flash flooding.

This satellite image taken at 15:30 UTC and provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Roslyn approaching the Pacific coast of Mexico.
AP

This satellite image taken at 15:30 UTC and provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Roslyn approaching the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Hurricane Roslyn has grown to Category 4 force as it headed for a collision with Mexico's Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.INEW

The US National Hurricane Center said Roslyn’s maximum sustained winds remained at 215 kph late on Saturday.

The storm was centered about 105 kilometres west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes — the point of land jutting into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta — and moving north at 19 kph.

The forecast put Roslyn on a path that could take it close to Cabo Corrientes and the Puerto Vallarta region during the night before making landfall in Nayarit state on Sunday.

Hurricane-force winds extended out 45 kilometres from Roslyn's core, while tropical storm-force winds extended out to 130 kilometres, the US hurricane centre said.

Mexico issues warning

Mexico issued a hurricane warning covering a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for the Islas Marias.

The Nayarit state government said the hurricane was expected to make landfall on Sunday around the fishing village of San Blas, about 150 kilometres north of Puerto Vallarta.

The head of the state civil defence office, Pedro Nunez, said, "Right now we are carrying out patrols through the towns, to alert people so that they can keep their possession safe and keep themselves safe in safer areas."

The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding and the US hurricane centre warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 10 to 15 centimetres of rain.

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