Hurricane Norma becomes category 3 and advances towards northwest Mexico

Hurricane Norma continues its course towards northwest Mexico this Friday (20), according to the National Meteorological Service of Mexico (SMN). The hurricane is located approximately 355 km southwest of Cabo Corrientes, in the state of Jalisco, and 475 km south of Cabo San Lucas, in Baja California do Sul.

According to the SMN, Norma advances at 11 km/h with maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts of up to 220 km/h.

The entity warned in a previous statement that Norma could reach some regions this weekend. According to the projection, the cyclone would hit the coast this Saturday (21) in San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, as a category 1 hurricane.

However, Norma is expected to make landfall again during Sunday night (22) and Monday morning (23) in the municipalities of Culiacán and Elota as a tropical storm.

Lieutenant Jorge García Quiroz, from the Naval Meteorological Service, indicated that within 24 hours the forecast estimates a wave of 4.8 to 6.3 meters over the Central Pacific region; from 3.6 to 4.8 meters at the entrance to the Gulf of California and on the coasts of Nayarit and Jalisco, and from 2.7 to 3.6 m in the regions of Revillagigedo and islands of the South Pacific, on the coasts of Colima and Michoacán, as well as in the south of the Baja California peninsula.

As a precaution, some ports will be closed.

According to the update, these are the expected weather conditions:

• Occasional heavy rains in Colima and Jalisco;
• Very heavy rains in Guerrero, Michoacán and Nayarit;
• Showers in Baja California Sur and Sinaloa.

Due to rain, river and stream levels may rise in these states, with the potential for landslides and flooding.

Around 150 members of the Mexican Armed Forces, grouped into four rescue teams, were deployed during the hurricane’s arrival. Around 3,000 tons of food were set aside to help potential victims.