Hurricane Trudy strengthens to category 2 as it heads toward Mexico

Hurricane Trudy strengthens to category 2 as it heads toward Mexico

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Hurricane Trudy has strengthened to a category 2 hurricane as it moves toward Mexico's south-western and west-central Pacific coast, according to the US National Hurricane Center. A hurricane warning is in effect from Manzanillo in Colima state to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. The latest NHC data showed Trudy with maximum sustained winds of 100mph (155km/h) and about 205 miles (330km) south/south-east of Cabo Corrientes and 115 miles (180km) south/south-west of Manzanillo, moving north-west at 10mph (17km/h).

The Mexican government has issued a tropical storm warning for Las Islas Marias and discontinued a similar warning for its coast south of Lazaro Cardenas. The Mexican navy has urged mariners and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution due to high waves, heavy rain, and the risk of rising rivers, flooding, and landslides in vulnerable areas. Colima authorities have stated that the risks remain low, but warned that heavy rainfall could cause damage because the ground is already saturated by successive storms along the Pacific coast.

Trudy is expected to bring 4-8in (10-20cm) of rain through the weekend, with isolated totals of about 15in (38cm). The storm's center is expected to approach the Mexican coast on Saturday and pass near it into Sunday. Meanwhile, Typhoon Champi has strengthened into a category 4 weather system as it moves toward Guam.

The governors of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have requested emergency disaster declarations, which would authorize federal support and funding for emergency protective measures. Airports, harbors, and some health facilities in the territories have been closed. Resources are unlikely to reach the islands for three to five days, according to Saturday updates from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.