Latest NOAA Updates on Hurricane Willa, Tropical Storm Vicente

Top video shows devastation during Hurricane Michael

U.S. weather forecasters have been issuing advisories for two named storms: Hurricane Willa and Tropical Storm Vicente.

Hurricane Willa

Hurricane Willa formed over the weekend, and according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in an update on Oct. 21, the storm is continuing to strengthen.

The storm formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean and is currently located 260 miles south-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico. It has 105 mph winds, enough to make it a Category 2 storm.

A hurricane watch is in effect for San Blas to Mazatlan and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Playa Perula to San Blas.

Hurricane Willa formed over the weekend, and according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in an update on Oct. 21, the storm is continuing to strengthen. NHC

The center of Willa “is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph (11 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the north-northwest and north is expected by tonight and Monday,” said the NHC.

“Willa is expected to accelerate toward the north-northeast and approach the southwestern coast of mainland Mexico by late Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 105 mph (165 km/h) with higher gusts,” the agency said. “Steady to rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and Willa is expected to become a major hurricane by Monday morning.”

The storm is slated to move through northern Mexico on Wednesday and Thursday, and it will likely bring impacts to southern Texas.

Tropical Storm Vicente

Tropical Storm Vicente is located to the east-southeast of Hurricane Willa, located 90 miles south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, as well as 100 miles south-southwest of Puerto Escondido, Mexico, the NHC said.

Tropical Storm Vicente is located to the east-southeast of Hurricane Willa, located 90 miles south-southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, as well as 100 miles south-southwest of Puerto Escondido, Mexico. NHC

The storm has 50 mph winds and is moving west-southwest at 9 mph.

There are no coastal warnings or watches for the storm.

“Vicente is moving toward the west-southwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today,” the NHC said. “A turn toward the west is expected by this evening, followed by a gradual turn toward the northwest by Monday evening. On the forecast track, the center of Vicente is expected to remain just offshore or near the southern coast of Mexico through Monday night.”

It added: “Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast during the next 48 hours. Vicente is a small tropical cyclone with tropical-storm-force winds only extending outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center.”

The storm is slated to bring impacts to central-western Mexico by Wednesday, the NHC said.

Hurricane Michael

The death toll for Hurricane Michael has increased to 36 across several states, but the hardest-hit state was Florida.

Authorities told CNN on Oct. 20 that another woman was found dead in Bay County, Florida, bringing the death toll to 26 in the state. Ten other people died in North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia.

Officials didn’t reveal details of the woman’s death.

Bay County was the hardest-hit area during Michael’s landfall on Oct. 10. It includes the severely damaged cities Mexico Beach (as seen in the top video) and Panama City.