Hurricane Roslyn hits Mexico with life-threatening storm surge

Roslyn, a powerful category 3 hurricane, was moving across west-central Mexico on Sunday, dumping a life-threatening storm surge with damaging winds in its path, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Roslyn, which was downgraded from category 4 since Saturday, hit land at 5.20am local time (11.20GMT) near Santa Cruz in northern Nayarit, the NHC said, a Pacific coastal state home to popular tourist beaches like Sayulita and Punta Mita. By late morning, maximum sustained winds decreased to near 90mph (150km) with stronger gusts. Rapid weakening was expected as the hurricane moved farther inland, the NHC said. Video footage showed flooded streets and palm trees swaying in strong winds as Roslyn touched down in Nayarit.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the coast from Playa Perula to Escuinapa. Up to 8 to 10in of rain was expected in Jalisco, Nayarit, south-eastern Sinaloa and southern Durango. At least 11 municipalities in Nayarit and Durango were under a red alert indicating the maximum danger from the storm, officials said. Some areas of Nayarit and Jalisco had lost power and officials said they were working to restore it.

Mexican authorities opened emergency shelters along the coastal areas of Nayarit and bordering Jalisco state, and warned people not to trust moments of calm during the storm, but stay sheltered until officials said the danger was over.