Hurricane Jova bears down on Mexico's Pacific coast

A major hurricane is threatening resorts along Mexico’s Pacific coast, bringing winds of more than 130mph.

Oct 11, 2011 08:00AM GMT

Hurricane Jova has strengthened to Category 3 and could reach Category 4 on Tuesday before hitting land, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami warned.

The forecast track would carry its centre near the beach resort of Barra de Navidad, south of Puerto Vallarta.

The Mexican government declared a hurricane warning for a 100-mile stretch of coast from just south of Puerto Vallarta to a point south of Manzanillo, one of Mexico's main cargo ports. A tropical storm warning is in effect further south, to the port of Lazaro Cardenas.

Authorities have closed the port of Manzanillo, the country's second largest non-oil cargo port, to all navigation as a safety measure.

Hotels in the hurricane's path are already taking precautions. Almost all the guests at the 199-room Grand Bay Hotel on Isla Navidad, just off the coast, are checking out.

The mountainous terrain inland usually weakens hurricanes like Jova fairly quickly once they hit land, but "maybe coastal flooding will be an issue", said National Hurricane Centre forecaster Felix Garcia.

"The rainfall will be absolutely torrential," he added.