Category-2 Hurricane Trudy Bears Down on Mexico, Category-4 Typhoon Champi Heads Toward Guam
Hurricane Trudy strengthened on Saturday into a Category-2 hurricane as it moved along its path towards Mexico's southwestern and west-central Pacific coast, the US National Hurricane Center has said. In the same Pacific Ocean, another powerful storm, Typhoon Champi, has strengthened to Category-4 level and is advancing towards Guam.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the area from Manzanillo in the state of Colima to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. According to the Hurricane Center's latest information, Trudy's maximum sustained wind speed is 100 miles per hour (155 kilometres). The storm was located about 205 miles (330 kilometres) south/southeast of Cabo Corrientes and about 115 miles (180 kilometres) south/southwest of Manzanillo, and was moving in a northwesterly direction at 10 miles per hour (17 kilometres).
Trudy's centre is expected to reach close to the Mexican coast on Saturday and to pass by it through Sunday. Following the latest warning, the Mexican government has issued a tropical storm warning for Las Islas Marías and withdrawn a similar warning for the coast south of Lázaro Cárdenas.
Mexico's navy has called on sailors and coastal residents to exercise extreme caution — because there is a risk of high waves, heavy rain and rising river water, flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
The Colima authorities said the risk is still low, but heavy rainfall could cause damage — because the soil is already saturated due to the succession of storms on the Pacific coast. Trudy is forecast to drop 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimetres) of rain over the weekend, with isolated maximum amounts reaching up to about 15 inches (38 centimetres).
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Ocean, Champi has strengthened into a Category-4 storm as it advances westwards towards Guam at 15 miles per hour (24 kilometres).
As of Saturday night local time, Champi was located about 25 miles (40 kilometres) southeast of Guam and its maximum sustained wind speed was 140 miles per hour (225 kilometres), the US National Weather Service said.
The storm is forecast to pass to the south of Guam in the early hours of Sunday local time and to keep strengthening throughout the day. A typhoon warning remains in force in Guam and Rota, while a tropical storm warning and a typhoon watch are in effect in Tinian and Saipan.
The governors of both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands requested emergency disaster declarations on Friday. If approved by Donald Trump, federal assistance and funding for emergency protective measures will be authorised.
Airports, ports and some health facilities in the areas have been closed. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) update on Saturday, it could take three to five days for aid resources to reach the islands. It is worth noting that the areas are still recovering from the damage of Super Typhoon Sinlaku and Super Typhoon Bavi, which hit in April and July respectively.
Both storms are still developing. Weather authorities and local administrations are now watching the impact of Trudy's rain and waves on the Mexican coast and Champi's trajectory over the Guam region.
