(CNN in Spanish) — Tropical Storm Norma will become a hurricane as it moves toward northwest Mexico, according to the weather agency Climate prediction From the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
As of Wednesday morning, Norma’s center was located 605 km southwest of Manzanillo, Colima, and 610 km southwest of Playa Perrola, Jalisco.
According to the Mexican Meteorological Service (SMN), Norma has a maximum wind speed of 110 km/h and is moving toward the northwest.
The NHC expects Norma to become a hurricane in the next few hours and gradually weaken by the end of the week.
according to SMN models, Norma will make landfall 525 km southwest of Playa Perola, in Jalisco and 540 km southwest of Manzanillo, Colima. It is expected to reach Category 3 status as it moves toward northern Mexico.
Norma effects
The system will bring occasional heavy rains in the states of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero and very heavy rains in Nayarit. Rainfall can lead to increased levels of rivers and streams, as well as landslides and flooding in these entities.
The SMN added that winds of 60 to 80 km/h are expected, and the possibility of water cannons and waves with a height of between two and four meters are expected on the coasts of Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan and Guerrero.
The National Hurricane Center warned that Hurricane Norma’s wave will affect parts of southwestern Mexico, with waves spreading north along the west coast.
The Mexican authorities called on residents to take maximum precautions in the areas of the mentioned states due to the danger of rain, winds, and waves, and to respond to the civil protection recommendations of each party.