Hurricane Trudy intensifies to Category 3 and threatens Mexican Pacific states

 

Hurricane Trudy intensified into a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale this Friday off the Pacific coast of Mexico, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), which operates under the National Water Commission (Conagua).

The agency reported that, as of 9:00 a.m. [local time], the center of the hurricane was located 380 kilometers southwest of Acapulco, with maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour.

 "Its circulation increases the likelihood of very heavy to intense rainfall across western and southern Mexico", specifically in parts of Guerrero and Oaxaca, authorities stated.

 Mudslides could also occur, especially in areas of steep terrain.

 Mexico's civil protection agency ‌asked residents to start preparations for the storm's arrival by securing doors and ⁠windows, and removing ​objects that could be thrown around by the strong winds.

"Trudy has the potential to even reach Category 4 or 5 intensity," said Alex DaSilva, a hurricane meteorologist at private forecaster AccuWeather.