Hurricane Trudy strengthens as it nears Mexico's Pacific coast

Hurricane Trudy strengthened to a category 2 storm on Saturday as it moved towards Mexico's south-western Pacific coast, according to US hurricane forecasters.

A hurricane warning was in force from Manzanillo, in Colima state, to Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco. Trudy had maximum sustained winds of 100mph (155km/h) and was about 115 miles south-south-west of Manzanillo, moving north-west at 10mph.

Heavy rain and landslides

The storm's centre was expected to approach the coast on Saturday and pass near it into Sunday, bringing 10cm to 20cm of rain, and up to 38cm in places.

The Mexican navy urged sailors and coastal residents to take extreme care because of high waves, heavy rain and the risk of rising rivers, flooding and landslides. Colima's authorities said the overall risk remained low, but warned that the ground was already saturated by a series of storms along the Pacific coast, so more rain could cause damage.

Mexico issued a tropical storm warning for Las Islas Marias, and lifted a warning for the coast south of Lazaro Cardenas.

Typhoon Champi

Across the Pacific, Typhoon Champi strengthened to category 4 as it moved towards Guam, with winds of 140mph (225km/h). It was expected to pass south of the island early on Sunday and keep strengthening. Guam and Rota were under a typhoon warning.

The governors of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have asked for emergency disaster declarations. Airports, harbours and some health centres were closed, and US federal help was not expected to reach the islands for three to five days. The territories are still recovering from two super typhoons, Sinlaku and Bavi, in April and July.

A busy Pacific season

This year's eastern Pacific hurricane season has been busy, with storms including Hurricane Simon and Tropical Storm Rachel killing five people on Mexico's coast earlier this month. Forecasters say the strong El Niño in the Pacific, now at record levels, tends to boost storm activity in the eastern and central Pacific while suppressing hurricanes in the Atlantic.

How hurricanes are measured

Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir-Simpson scale from category 1 to 5 according to their wind speed. A category 2 storm has sustained winds of 96mph to 110mph and can cause extensive damage to roofs, trees and power lines. Storms become major hurricanes at category 3. Typhoon is the name used for the same kind of storm in the western Pacific.

Advice for travellers

Mexico's Pacific resorts, including Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, are popular with British holidaymakers. Anyone travelling to the region is advised to follow the Foreign Office's travel advice and local authorities' instructions, and to check with their airline or tour operator before setting off.