Parts of Mexico are facing a life-threatening storm surge and flooding as Hurricane Roslyn barrels towards the country.
The category 3 storm has been described as “extremely dangerous” by the US National Hurricane Centre, with winds of 130mph recorded and rain forecast that could cause mudslides.
Emergency officials were rushing to finish preparations to protect against the hurricane as it moved towards tourist areas along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
A video posted on Twitter by Mexico’s civil protection agency showed violent swells crashing into a beach in Nayarit, with a warning to stay out of the water.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Las Islas Marias and Playa Perula to Escuinapa, with forecasters saying the storm was expected to come ashore in Nayarit state on Sunday morning.
The Nayarit state government said the hurricane was expected to make landfall around the fishing village of San Blas, about 90 miles north of Puerto Vallarta.
The head of the state civil defence office, Pedro Nunez, said: “Right now we are carrying out patrols through the towns, to alert people so that they can keep their possession safe and keep themselves safe in safer areas.”
In the neighbouring state of Jalisco, Governor Enrique Alfaro said 270 people had been forced to flee a town near the hurricane’s expected path and that five emergency shelters had been set up in Puerto Vallarta.
