'Extremely dangerous' Hurricane Lidia makes landfall in Mexico as category-4 storm

Hurricane Lidia, which hadtransformed into an "extremely dangerous" Category-4 storm, made landfallon Mexico's Pacific coast and then moved inland. The storm poses a significant threat of flooding and mudslides, the US-based meteorologists said.

The USNational Hurricane Center said Lidia’s eye—a region of mostly calm weather at the center of atropical cyclone—appeared to have reached land near Las Penitas in the western state of Jalisco. The area is a sparsely populated peninsula.

When the tropical storm moved towards Mexico Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Puerto Vallarta, its wind speed was about140 mph (220 kph).

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The hurricane then moved south of Puerto Vallarta to a point inland about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the resort, and about 90 miles (150 kms) west of the capital of Jalisco state, Guadalajara.

Lidia remained a powerful hurricane even after moving over land, with winds of 105 mph (165 kph) late Tuesday.

According to the US weather agency,Lidia was moving east-northeast at about 17 mph (28 kph), and predicted that it could still be a Category 1 hurricane when it touches Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, around midnight.

HurricaneLidia: How devastating could it be?

Lidia boasted maximum sustained winds of approximately 140 miles (220 kilometers) per hour, with the potential for further strengthening before it hits the land later on Tuesday (Oct 10), as reported by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

It reached Category 4 status, the second-highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, as defined by the NHC.

In the popular seaside city of Puerto Vallarta, shopkeepers took precautionary measures, securing windows and piling up sandbags in preparation for potential flooding, AFP reported.

Some regions suspended school classes, and residents were encouraged to find shelter.

Lidia was positioned about 110 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco state.

Hurricane Lidia in Mexico: NHC raises alarm

The storm was predicted to bring heavy rainfall, up to 12 inches (30 centimeters), to Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Jalisco states, raising concerns about flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas with elevated terrain near the coast.

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The NHC also cautioned that a dangerous storm surge would result in significant coastal flooding, particularly near and to the south of the storm's landfall point.

Along the coast, this surge would coincide with large and dangerous waves.

Hurricanes are an annual occurrence in Mexico, striking both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, typically between May and November.

Notably, this week, Tropical Storm Max caused two fatalities and widespread house flooding in Guerrero, one of Mexico's economically disadvantaged regions.

Furthermore, in August, storm Hilary, previously reaching Category 4 status, resulted in one fatality and inflicted damage to infrastructure in the northwestern state of Baja California.

(With inputs from agencies)

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