Europe 1 with AFP 5:20 p.m., October 02, 2022

After being classified as Category 3 at the start of the day on Sunday, Hurricane Orlene is now Category 4 out of 5, and is considered extremely dangerous.

It is approaching the Mexican coast and threatening the coastline.

Hurricane Orlene gained strength on Sunday, becoming a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches the Pacific coast of Mexico, where it is expected to make landfall Monday through Tuesday night, according to the US National Hurricane Center. (NHC).

"The extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Orlene continues to track north," the NHC said in its 1200 GMT report.

At the time, the hurricane was 170 km southwest of Cabo Corrientes in the western state of Jalisco.

Heavy rains and winds

According to the NHC forecast, it is moving at 7 km/h and its center "is expected to pass near or over the Tres Marias Islands [...] tonight or Monday morning, and reach the coast of mainland Mexico in the night from Monday to Tuesday".

The hurricane brought "intense rains" from the south to the north of the Mexican coast accompanied by "strong winds and heavy swells", the Civil Protection office said on Twitter, urging residents of at-risk areas to seek refuge in temporary shelters.

Small but dangerous Hurricane #Orlene just over 100 nm offshore of the coast of #Jalisco Mexico, near 19.6N107.9W at 1500 UTC, moving N at 7 kt.

Peak seas estimated near 28 ft.

Large seas will dominate the waters and coasts of Colima, Jalisco this morning and spread to Nayarit.

pic.twitter.com/8aBnPe7DyF

— NHC_TAFB (@NHC_TAFB) October 2, 2022

The Navy meanwhile closed ports in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco.

Mexico's Atlantic and Pacific coasts are prone to hurricanes each year, usually between May and November.

In October 1997, more than 200 people died during the passage of Paulina on the coasts of the Pacific.