Forecasters said Willa is expected to produce storm total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with local amounts to 18 inches, across portions of western Jalisco, western Nayarit, and southern Sinaloa in Mexico. This rainfall will cause life-threatening flash flooding and landslides. Farther inland, Willa is expected to produce rainfall amount of 2 to 4 inches across portions of Zacateca, Durango, southeast Chihuahua, and Coahuila in Mexico, with local amounts to 6 inches possible. This rainfall could cause life-threatening flash flooding.</s>MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hurricane Willa gained dangerous strength early on Monday as it churned toward Mexico’s Pacific coast, an area frequented by tourists, with torrential rain and major flooding in the offing, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The Miami-based NHC upgraded Willa to a powerful Category 4 storm on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson scale as it unleashed maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kmh) - just 2 mph shy of being designated a devastating Category 5 hurricane.

Willa was expected to hit Mexico’s west coast on Tuesday afternoon or evening.

The hurricane “continues to rapidly strengthen,” the NHC said in an advisory, adding that Willa would probably trigger a life-threatening surge in Pacific tides.

By early Monday, the storm was located about 175 miles (285 km) southwest of Cabo Corrientes on the coast of Jalisco state.

The NHC estimated that total rainfall would range from 5 to 15 inches (12.5 cm to 38.1 cm) across stretches of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, home to the white sand beach resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Vicente, which formed in the Pacific off southern Mexico on Saturday, began to weaken while hovering along the southern Mexican coast on Sunday and by early Monday was located about 195 miles (310 km) southeast of Acapulco.

It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph)

and the center of the storm would likely remain just offshore or near the southern coast of Mexico through Tuesday morning, according to the NHC.

Vicente is seen weakening to tropical depression status by Monday night, but could still cause significant rainfall.</s>This image provided by NOAA on Monday, Oct. 22, 2018, shows Hurricane Willa in the eastern Pacific, on a path to smash into Mexico’s western coast. (NOAA via AP)

Hurricane Willa grew into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm and swept toward Mexico’s Pacific coast with winds of 160 mph (260 kph) Monday, threatening a stretch of high-rise resort hotels, surfing beaches and fishing villages.

The hurricane was expected to pass over or near the Islas Marias — a set of islands about 60 miles offshore that include a nature preserve and a federal prison — early Tuesday, then blow ashore in the afternoon or the evening between the resort town of Mazatlan and San Blas, a distance of about 140 miles (220 km).

It was projected to weaken somewhat before hitting land but was still expected to be extremely dangerous.

The governments of Sinaloa and Nayarit states ordered coastal region schools to close and began preparing emergency shelters.

READ MORE: Hurricane Michael left path of destruction, isn’t done yet

Mazatlan, with a metropolitan-area population of about 500,000, is a popular vacation spot. It is closer to the U.S. than most other Pacific resorts and home to a large number of American and Canadian expatriates.

The hurricane’s projected track also included Esquinapa, a town a few miles inland with almost 60,000 people in and around it.

As of midday Monday, Willa was centred about 135 miles (215 kilometres) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and was moving at 7 mph (11 kph).

Hurricane-force winds extended 30 miles (45 kilometres) from the storm’s centre, and tropical storm-force winds were up to 105 miles (1650 kilometres) out.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Willa could bring 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimetres) of rain — with up to 18 inches (45 centimetres) in some places — to parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, with flash flooding and landslides possible in mountainous areas.

Farther to the south, Tropical Storm Vicente weakened but was still expected to produce heavy rainfall and flooding over parts of southern and southwestern Mexico.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.</s>MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Willa grew into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm and swept toward Mexico’s Pacific coast with winds of 160 mph (260 kph) Monday, threatening a stretch of high-rise resort hotels, surfing beaches and fishing villages.

The hurricane was expected to pass over or near the Islas Marias — a set of islands about 60 miles offshore that include a nature preserve and a federal prison — early Tuesday, then blow ashore in the afternoon or the evening between the resort town of Mazatlan and San Blas, a distance of about 140 miles (220 km).

It was projected to weaken somewhat before hitting land but was still expected to be extremely dangerous.

The governments of Sinaloa and Nayarit states ordered coastal region schools to close and began preparing emergency shelters.

Mazatlan, with a metropolitan-area population of about 500,000, is a popular vacation spot. It is closer to the U.S. than most other Pacific resorts and home to a large number of American and Canadian expatriates.

The hurricane’s projected track also included Esquinapa, a town a few miles inland with almost 60,000 people in and around it.

As of midday Monday, Willa was centered about 135 miles (215 kilometers) south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes and was moving at 7 mph (11 kph).

Hurricane-force winds extended 30 miles (45 kilometers) from the storm’s center, and tropical storm-force winds were up to 105 miles (1650 kilometers) out.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Willa could bring 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain — with up to 18 inches (45 centimeters) in some places — to parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, with flash flooding and landslides possible in mountainous areas.

Farther to the south, Tropical Storm Vicente weakened but was still expected to produce heavy rainfall and flooding over parts of southern and southwestern Mexico.</s>Hurricane Willa is nearing the Pacific coast of Mexico as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, after experiencing what the National Hurricane Center called “explosive” strengthening over the past 48 hours.

Willa’s maximum sustained winds, as of Monday morning, were 160 mph, making it a top-of-the-scale hurricane. Its current intensity is slightly more than Hurricane Michael’s when it made landfall in Florida’s Panhandle less than two weeks ago.

The storm has supercharged at an incredible rate since it formed over the weekend. From Sunday morning to Monday morning, Hurricane Willa strengthened 80 mph in only 24 hours, and went from forming into a tropical storm on Saturday morning to a Category 5 in less than 48 hours.

The official forecast from the National Hurricane Center calls for Willa to weaken some before landfall, but the storm is still expected to be a major hurricane, likely still a high-end Category 4, when it makes landfall on Tuesday afternoon.

Willa is currently located about 175 miles southwest of Puerto Vallarta, moving north at 7 mph. A turn to right is forecast over the next 24 hours, which should bring the hurricane on land near the border of the states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, south of the city of Mazatlan.

The hurricane is on track to be one of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the Pacific coast of Mexico and its landfall will come three years to the day after the strongest, Hurricane Patricia, made landfall one state to the south, in Jalisco.

Hurricane Patricia went from a Category 5 to Category 4 when it made landfall, but at its peak, Patricia had winds of 215 mph and was the strongest hurricane or typhoon ever observed anywhere on the planet.

In addition to Willa, Mexico is bracing for another tropical system right behind it, Tropical Storm Vicente. While Vicente is considerably weaker than Willa, it is expected to make landfall late on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning about 250 miles south of Willa and will give the western coastline of Mexico a rapid 1-2 punch from Mother Nature.

The back-to-back systems have helped make the 2018 hurricane season in the northeast Pacific one for the record books.

The season is now the most active hurricane season on record using a measurement called “Accumulated Cyclone Energy,” which combines the number of storms and their intensity through their lifetimes to give an overall measurement of tropical activity in a given region.

2018 has seen 10 major hurricanes, including Willa, which ties 1992 as the most major hurricanes ever seen in the NE Pacific in one year.

Increasing numbers of major hurricanes, along with a greater propensity of storms to undergo “rapid intensification” are expected consequences of warmer ocean waters resulting from climate change. The ocean waters off the western coast of Mexico are currently running 1-2 degrees Fahrenheit above average for late October.</s>Hurricane Willa, a major storm strengthening to near-Category 5 status in the Pacific, is threatening to derail travel plans to popular resort destinations in Mexico.

Southwest Airlines on Monday issued a travel advisory for travelers headed to and from Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta this week. Passengers booked on flights from Monday, Oct. 22, through Friday, Oct. 26, can change their flight without penalty if they want to get ahead of the storm or wait until it passes. There is fine print.

FLIGHT TRACKER: Is your flight on time?

The airline has already canceled flights between Houston Hobby, Oakland and Los Angeles and Puerto Vallarta for Tuesday, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Passengers whose flights are canceled are eligible for a refund or can rebook.

Other airlines with flights to the region are likely to follow Southwest's move and issue travel waivers if Hurricane Willa maintains its momentum.</s>MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Willa grew into a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm and swept toward Mexico's Pacific coast with winds of 160 mph (260 kph) Monday, threatening a stretch of high-rise resort hotels, surfing beaches and fishing villages.

The hurricane was expected to pass over or near the Islas Marias — a set of islands about 60 miles offshore that include a nature preserve and a federal prison — early Tuesday, then blow ashore in the afternoon or the evening somewhere along a 140-mile (220-kilometre) section extending from the resort town of Mazatlan to San Blas.

It was projected to weaken somewhat before hitting land but was still expected to be extremely dangerous.

The governments of Sinaloa and Nayarit states ordered coastal region schools to close and began preparing emergency shelters.

Mazatlan, with a metropolitan-area population of about 500,000, is a popular vacation spot. It is closer to the U.S. than most other Pacific resorts and home to a large number of American and Canadian expatriates.

The hurricane's projected track also included Esquinapa, a town a few miles inland with almost 60,000 people in and around it.

As of midday Monday, Willa was centred about 120 miles (190 kilometres) southwest of Cabo Corrientes and was moving north at 7 mph (11 kph).

Hurricane-force winds extended 30 miles (45 kilometres) from the storm's centre, and tropical storm-force winds were up to 105 miles (165 kilometres) out.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Willa could bring 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimetres) of rain — with up to 18 inches (45 centimetres) in some places — to parts of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, with flash flooding and landslides possible in mountainous areas.

Farther to the south, Tropical Storm Vicente weakened but was still expected to produce heavy rainfall and flooding over parts of southern and southwestern Mexico.</s>Hurricane Willa is expected to produce life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over portions of west-central and southwestern Mexico. Willa is currently located about 195 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico and is presently moving northward at a speed of 5 mph. According to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), the dangerous hurricane’s maximum sustained winds have increased to near 155 mph with higher gusts. The strength makes Willa an extremely powerful category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Willa has strengthened at an incredible rate, intensifying from a tropical depression to a category 4 hurricane in less than 48 hours. And the hurricane is still strengthening, according to NHC’s latest forecast advisory. Hurricane Willa is expected to produce dangerous storm surge along the coast of southwestern Mexico by late Tuesday or early Wednesday. The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

Large swells generated by Willa will continue to affect portions of the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico during the next few days. In addition, Hurricane Willa is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of six to 12 inches, with local amounts up to 18 inches across portions of western Jalisco, western Nayarit, and southern Sinaloa in Mexico. According to the NHC, this rainfall will cause “life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.” A hurricane warning has been posted for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan, including Las Islas Marias.

And a tropical storm warning is in effect for Playa Perula to San Blas and north of Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya. Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area by late Tuesday, with tropical storm conditions expected by Tuesday morning. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the tropical storm warning areas tonight and Tuesday. The NHC urges interests elsewhere along the coasts to monitor the progress of Willa.</s>The Miami-based center upgraded the menacing storm to a powerful Category 4 storm on the 5-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale as it lashed out maximum sustained winds of about 130 miles per hour (209 km).

Willa is expected to come ashore on Tuesday afternoon or evening.

The hurricane "continues to rapidly strengthen," the NHC said in an advisory, adding that Willa will likely produce a life-threatening storm surge.

By Sunday afternoon, the storm was located about 225 miles (362 km) southwest of Cabo Corrientes, on the coast of Jalisco state.

The hurricane center estimates that total rainfall will range between 5 inches and 15 inches (12.5 cm to 38.1 cm) across stretches of Jalisco, Nayarit and Sinaloa states, home to Mexican white sand beach resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Vicente, which formed in the Pacific off southern Mexico on Saturday, began to weaken as it hovered along the coast of southern Mexico on Sunday, located about 230 miles (370 km) southeast of Acapulco.</s>Hurricane Willa, a potentially catastrophic storm, swept toward Mexico's Pacific coast with winds of 155 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. Forecasters expect the Category 4 storm to make landfall along Mexico's southwestern coast Tuesday afternoon or evening.

Willa is an "extremely dangerous storm" that is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall over west-central and southwestern Mexico, the hurricane center. After it briefly strengthened to a Category 5 storm, it weakened slightly Monday afternoon.

Willa was located about 135 miles south-southwest of Las Islas Marias, Mexico, and some 110 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, the hurricane center said in its 5 p.m. ET advisory. It was moving north at 8 mph.

A hurricane warning was posted for a stretch of shore between San Blas and Mazatlan. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Playa Perula to San Blas and north of Mazatlan to Bahia Tempehuaya.

This map shows the projected path of Hurricane Willa on Oct. 22, 2018. CBS News

Enrique Moreno, the mayor of Escuinapa, said officials were trying to evacuate everyone in the village of Teacapan, the Associated Press reports. He said nearly 3,000 were affected but some residents would stay.

"The people don't want to evacuate, but it's for their security," he said.

In Mazatlan, Mayor José Joel Bouciegues said officials were preparing shelters and monitoring low-lying areas, the AP reports. The popular vacation town is home to a large number of American and Canadian expatriates.

Forecasters said Willa was expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 6 to 12 inches, with local amounts up to 18 inches, across portions of western Jalisco, western Nayarit and southern Sinaloa in Mexico. The rainfall could cause life-threatening flash flooding and landslides.

Farther inland, Willa was expected to produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches across portions of Zacateca, Durango, southeast Chihuahua, and Coahuila in Mexico, with local amounts up to 6 inches possible. That could cause life-threatening flash flooding.

After Willa makes its way across Mexico, it could drop between 1 and 3 inches of rain on central and southern Texas during the middle of the week. The additional rainfall could cause additional flooding in already saturated areas.

Jeff Berardelli and Peter Martinez contributed to this report.
Hurricane Willa strengthens to a category 4 hurricane off the Pacific Coast of Mexico.