HURRICANE ROSLYN GROWS TO CATEGORY 4

Storm expected to make landfall north of Puerto Vallarta

Hurricane Roslyn grew to Category 4 force on Saturday as it headed for a collision with Mexico’s Pacific coast, likely north of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Roslyn’s maximum sustained winds stood at 130 mph early Saturday evening.

The storm was centered about 90 miles southwest of Cabo Corrientes — the point of land jutting into the Pacific south of Puerto Vallarta — and moving north at 10 mph.

The forecast called for Roslyn to begin shifting to a northeast movement, putting it on a path to make landfall in Nayarit state early today.

Hurricane-force winds extended out 30 miles from Roslyn’s core, while tropical storm-force winds extended out to 80 miles, the U.S. hurricane center said.

Mexico issued a hurricane warning covering a stretch of coast from Playa Perula south of Cabo Corrientes north to El Roblito and for the Islas Marias.

Seemingly oblivious to the danger just hours away, tourists ate at beachside eateries around Puerto Vallarta and smaller resorts farther north on the Nayarit coast, where Roslyn was expected to hit.

“We’re fine. Everything is calm, it’s all normal,” said Jaime Canton, a receptionist at the Casa Maria hotel in Puerto Vallarta. He said that if winds picked up, the hotel would gather up outside furniture “so nothing will go flying.”

The National Water Commission said rains from Roslyn could cause mudslides and flooding, and the U.S. hurricane center warned of dangerous storm surge along the coast, as well as 4 to 6 inches of rain.