Hurricane Agatha was strengthening in Mexico’s peaceful waters on Sunday, moving toward the country’s southwest coast, where it could become a Category 3 cyclone, according to forecasts from the Mexican National Meteorological Service (SMN).

Several hours earlier, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States had classified Agatha as category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale which has 5 gradations.

At 4:00 p.m. local time, Agatha had ascended to category 2 and was 295 km southwest of Puerto Angel, Mexico, with winds reaching 175 km/h while advancing northeast at the speed of 4 km/h, according to the latest NHC report.

High sea temperatures of over 31 degrees Celsius off the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero states in southern Mexico and slow movement could push Agatha up to category 3, with winds going up to 200 km / h, estimated Alejandra Méndez, an official of the SMN.

“ The hurricane is forecast to likely make landfall in Category 3 between Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, Oaxaca. »

A quote from Alejandra Méndez, an official of the SMN

He and the National Hurricane Center expect the impact to occur Monday morning.

Flood and landslide fears

It will also reinforce the entry of humidity from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, causing heavy rains in the states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Veracruz, and Yucatan, located on the east coast of the country.

Rainfall could cause landslides, rise in river levels as well as flooding SMN warned
Mexican National Weather Service

Mexico is hit by tropical cyclones on its Pacific and Atlantic coasts every year, usually between May and November.