Hurricane Trudy makes its way towards Mexico, threatening heavy rain

Hurricane Trudy ‌maintained its strength as it moved towards Mexico’s western ⁠coast on ⁠Saturday, with forecasters warning it could strengthen further before beginning to weaken on Sunday.

A hurricane warning was in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco.

The United States National Hurricane Center said ⁠Trudy was about 305km (190 miles) south-southeast of Manzanillo early on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (90mph).

The hurricane was moving at about 13km/h (8mph) and was forecast to approach southwestern and west-central Mexico later on Saturday before passing near the coast overnight into Sunday.

Hurricane conditions are expected ‌in the warning area on Saturday night, while tropical storm conditions are expected to spread across the region during the day, the NHC said. Hurricane conditions are also possible in areas under a hurricane watch.

Trudy is forecast to bring 10 to 20cm (four to eight inches) of rain, ⁠with isolated totals of about 38cm (15 ⁠inches), across parts of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco through the weekend, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and landslides, especially in steep terrain, according to the NHC.

Outer ⁠rain bands could produce two to four inches of rain, with isolated totals of ⁠approximately 15cm (six inches), in Guerrero and Nayarit, ⁠where localised flash flooding is possible, the centre said.

The NHC also warned of possible coastal flooding from storm surge in areas exposed to onshore winds, accompanied ‌by large and destructive waves.

Swells generated by Trudy were already affecting parts of Mexico’s southwestern coast and are expected to spread ‌northward towards ‌the country’s west-central coast through the weekend, creating life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the NHC said.

The Mexican navy urged the maritime community and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution due to high waves, heavy rains and the risk of rising river levels, flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.

The state of Colima has said that risks are currently low, but the storm could bring significant rainfall that could have damaging effects due to the saturated ground following the successive storms that have hit the Pacific coast.