Roslyn Expected to Become Hurricane

Tropical Storm Roslyn is expected to reach hurricane strength before making landfall on Mexico’s west coast this weekend, bringing torrential rains and threats of flash floods.

The storm is expected to bring as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rainfall to the region, which could lead to flash flooding and landslides in areas of rugged terrain, the National Hurricane Center said Friday in an advisory. The storm is about 190 miles (306 kilometers) south of Manzanillo, Mexico, with wind speeds of 65 miles per hour.

Roslyn should intensify rapidly Friday, but will likely start to weaken after making landfall and may dissipate within 72 hours. The current track shows the storm heading for the resort town of Puerto Vallarta.

Hurricane season officially winds down at the end of November, and the risk is waning for a major storm striking the Gulf Coast region, home to a significant amount of oil and natural gas production and refining capacity.