Hurricane Jova is gaining strength and heading toward the coast of Mexico, threatening beach resorts and one of the nation's biggest cargo ports.
U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) officials in Miami said the category three hurricane's winds built to 125 km/h Monday morning, and are expected to reach category 4 strength Tuesday with winds faster than 131 km/h.
Hotels in Jova's path took precautions, taping up windows, and cleaning out water channels in case of flooding, The Associated Press reported.
Almost all the guests at the 199-room Grand Bay Hotel just off the coast, on Isla Navidad, were scheduled to check out before the storm. One American couple was prepared to ride out the storm, said hotel desk clerk Julio Cesar Ortega.
The hotel's 90 employees plan to take shelter in an indoor ballroom if conditions become dangerous.
"The wind doesn't really hit us here, because we are protected by the hills," Ortega told AP. "But in any case, we're taking precautions for the storm's approach."
Mexico has a hurricane warning on its west coast from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes. A tropical storm warning stretches from Lazaro Cardenas north to Punta San Telmo.
The mountainous terrain inland usually weakens hurricanes like Jova fairly quickly once they hit land, but "maybe coastal flooding will be an issue," said NHC forecaster Felix Garcia.
"The rainfall will be absolutely torrential," Garcia said.
The aftermath of the hurricane is expected to pass through the Guadalajara region, but is expected to dissipate before the Jalisco state capital kicks off the Pan American Games Friday. Puerto Vallarta is scheduled to host open-water swimming and triathlon events this week and next.
As Jova picked up speed Monday, Irwin – the eighth hurricane of the year – was downgraded to a tropical storm out in the Pacific with winds dying down to 65 km/h.
