Hurricane heading toward Mexico strengthens to Category 4

A hurricane heading toward Mexico strengthened Sunday to a Category 4 storm as it prepares to make landfall this week. 

Hurricane Willa is now an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm that will “produce life-threatening storm surge, wind and rainfall,” the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory notice Sunday.

{mosads}The hurricane is expected to make landfall Tuesday over portions of southwest and west-central Mexico. The storm is expected to continue strengthening before making landfall, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane watch is in effect along a portion of Mexico’s western coast, from San Blas to Mazatlán. Additionally, a tropical storm warning is in effect from Playa Pérula to San Blas.

Willa is the latest storm in a hurricane season that has included Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael, storms that wreaked havoc in the southeastern United States earlier this fall.