Willa weakens to tropical storm, torrential rain to continue

World Today

A couple of kids stand next to a rain swollen road in the aftermath of Hurricane Willa, in Escuinapa, Mexico, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018. There were no immediate reports of deaths or missing people, but Willa winds damaged a hospital, knocked out power, toppled wood-shack homes and ripped metal roofing off other houses in the Sinaloa state municipality of Escuinapa. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Willa has weakened to a tropical storm but torrential rains will continue in west-central Mexico.

The meteorologists said Wednesday that Willa is moving toward the northeast at speeds near 20 mph (32 kph).

The Hurricane Center added that the government of Mexico has discontinued all coastal tropical cyclone warnings for the country.

Willa came ashore about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Mazatlan, a resort city that is home to high-rise hotels and about 500,000 people, including many U.S. and Canadian expatriates.

Story by the Associated Press.


Mexican officials continue evacuations due to flood risks from Willa

Willa has been downgraded from a Category 3 hurricane to a tropical depression, but not before causing damage in western Mexico. The storm knocked out power in several towns in Sinaloa State. Officials are warning residents of heavy rain and flooding. CGTN’s Alasdair Baverstock filed this report from Sinaloa on the storm’s aftermath.