Hurricane Willa has weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall in Mexico but torrential rain will continue in western-central areas, officials have said.
The US National Hurricane Centre said Willa is expected to continue moving towards the north east over the next 12 hours.
The centre added that the government of Mexico has discontinued all coastal tropical cyclone warnings.
Hurricane #Willa made landfall at 7 PM MDT near Isla Del Bosque, Sinaloa, or about 10 miles (15 km) south of Escuinapa. Maximum winds at landfall were estimated to be 120 mph (195 km/h), with a minimum central pressure of 965 mb (28.50 inches). https://t.co/iNZ7Y8Wlt3 pic.twitter.com/Q34dim99ya
— NHC E. Pacific Ops (@NHC_Pacific) October 24, 2018
Willa came ashore about 50 miles south east of Mazatlan, a Pacific resort city that is home to high-rise hotels and about 500,000 people, including many US and Canadian expatriates.
The storm’s 120mph winds hit near Isla del Bosque in Sinaloa state. Federal officials said there were early reports of power blackouts in some places and damage to flimsy structures with tin roofs.
Although hotels, restaurants and stores were boarded over, people ventured on to Mazatlan’s coastal boulevard to watch a spectacular sunset as the hurricane obscured the sky to the south.
The storm also battered the Islas Marias, a group of Mexican islands about 60 miles off the mainland that include a nature preserve and a federal prison.
Authorities declined to comment on precautions that were taken at the prison, citing security concerns, but said the safety of prisoners was a priority.
