Hilary grows to Category 3 hurricane, heads for Baja California
Mexico City, Aug 17 (EFE).- Hilary intensified Thursday night to a Category 3 hurricane and will continue bringing intense rains, strong gusts of wind and high waves in the southern, western and northwest of the country, Mexico’s weather authorities said.
Authorities said at 6:00 p.m. local time (00:00 GMT on Friday) that Hilary, which emerged Wednesday as a tropical storm, was 585 kilometers southwest of Playa Perula, Jalisco, and 715 kilometers south of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur.
They said it is moving west-northwest at 22 kmph and has sustained winds of 195 kmph with gusts of 215 kmph.
The government said Hilary would become a category 4 hurricane Friday and possibly cause a double impact on the Baja California peninsula in the morning in Punta Eugenia, Baja California Sur, and Sunday evening in Ensenada, Baja California state, near the United States.
It said Hilary would continue as a Category 4 hurricane at sea Friday and Saturday with a diameter of 1,000 kilometers.
For now, forecasts predict heavy rains (75 millimeters to 150 millimeters) in Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan and very heavy rains (50 millimeters to 75 millimeters) in Sinaloa and Guerrero.
The report warned of wind with gusts of 70 kmph to 90 kmph and waves of four to six meters high in Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan, in addition to gusts of 50 kmph to 70 kmph and waves of three meters to five meters high in the shores of Guerrero.
Authorities also called on the general population in affected areas to exercise extreme caution due to rain, wind and waves and to comply with recommendations issued by the authorities of the National Civil Protection System, in each state.
Hilary is the eighth cyclone of the current Pacific hurricane season. So far seven named cyclones have formed in the current Pacific hurricane season: Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda and Greg, none with damage in Mexico.
In early May, the government forecast the possible formation of up to 38 cyclones in the 2023 season, of which five could affect the country.
Of that number, between 16 and 22 systems could occur in the Pacific Ocean and between 10 and 16 systems in the Atlantic. EFE
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