Hurricane Orlene headed for Mexico as Category 4 storm

MEXICO CITY — Powerful storm Orlene intensified to a Category 4 hurricane Sunday on its way to Mexico's Pacific coast, where it is expected to make landfall on Monday night, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

"Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Orlene continues northward," the NHC said in a Sunday morning advisory, warning of "significant wind, storm surge and rainfall" in the Islas Marias and southwest Mexico.

At the time of the advisory the hurricane was 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Cabo Corrientes in the western state of Jalisco.

The NHC forecast that the storm would pass over the Islas Marias Sunday night or Monday morning, and reach the mainland by Monday night.

It predicted it could gather further strength early Sunday, but would then start gradually weakening until landfall.

Mexico's National Water Commission also predicted that the storm would be a Category 1 or 2 hurricane by the time it moves onto land on Tuesday.

Mexico is hit by tropical cyclones every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.

In October 1997, Hurricane Paulina hit Mexico's Pacific coast as a Category 4 storm, leaving more than 200 dead. — Agence France-Presse