By Aida Pelaez-Fernandez
MEXICO CITY; Oct 16 (Reuters) - Hurricane Trudy rapidly intensified on Friday, carrying maximum winds near 120 mph (195 kph), and is expected to approach Mexico's Pacific coast as a major storm during the weekend.
Additional strengthening is still forecast before Trudy nears the coast of Jalisco and Colima states late on Saturday as a life-threatening major hurricane, Mexican authorities and the US-based National Hurricane Center warned.
It is not expected to make landfall but
will remain very close to the coast, about 60 to 65 km away, and any change in its path closer to shore will increase the severity of its impact, the head of Mexico's weather agency Fabian Vazquez said at a press conference.
"Everyone in this region needs to be very careful and stay alert over the weekend," he added.
Mexico's civil protection agency asked residents to start preparations for the storm's arrival by securing doors and windows, and removing objects that could be thrown around by the strong winds.
"Trudy has the potential to even reach Category 4 or 5 intensity," said Alex DaSilva, a hurricane meteorologist at private forecaster AccuWeather.
Located about 235 miles (380 km) southwest of resort city Acapulco, the storm is expected to produce up to 15 inches (38 cm) of rain in the states of Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco, increasing the risk of life-threatening flooding and landslides, according to the NHC.
HARD-HIT PACIFIC COAST
The hurricane will strike Mexico's Pacific coast, a region that has already been battered in recent weeks by storms that left several dead and caused severe flooding.
"The most critical conditions will start on Saturday, with very severe winds and waves along the coast, in an area that has already been affected for several weeks," Vazquez said.
Tropical Storm Simon continues to weaken farther northwest offshore, after dropping heavy rain along the coast earlier as a hurricane.
Last week, tropical storm Rachel hit the Baja California peninsula damaging 1,500 homes, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
(Reporting by Aida Pelaez-Fernandez, Additional reporting by Raul Cortes; Editing by Toby Chopra)
