Hurricane Otis on Wednesday made landfall around 12.20 am local time (11 am IST) near the beach resort of Mexico's Acapulco, hours after it intensified into a dangerous Category 5 storm. Though it weakened into a Category 4 storm hours later, authorities remained on alert for rescue operations as the weatherman forecast five to 10 inches of rain, with as much as 15 inches possible in some areas. Authorities warned of "life-threatening" surf and rip current conditions, heavy rains and mudslides. Mexico's national water agency CONAGUA warned of six-to-eight-meter surf off Guerrero and off parts of Oaxaca state. Acapulco, a city of 1 million people, has now been plunged into almost total darkness as Category 5 Hurricane Otis makes landfall. pic.twitter.com/tkQyEQjeg6 — Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) October 25, 2023 Heavy rains accompanied by winds gusting up to 165 mph (270 kmh) at the time of landfall stirred memories of a 1997 storm that killed more than 200 people. Hurricane Otis had strengthened rapidly, going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in 12 hours on Tuesday, catching many off guard. Otis also became the first Category 5 landfall for the East Pacific, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Database, surpassing the 2015 Hurricane Patricia, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm. This made Otis the fastest intensifying hurricane in Eastern Pacific since 1966. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged people to move to shelters, stay in safe places and keep away from rivers and streams. The Guerrero state government prepared 396 shelters, while Mexico's army and navy deployed more than 8,000 troops with specialised equipment to aid in rescues. AHORA: Empiezan a salir imágenes de los graves daños e inundaciones tras el paso del huracán Otis pic.twitter.com/IM4p5U2eMp — BNO Noticias (@BNONoticias) October 25, 2023 Schools across Guerrero canceled classes for Wednesday ahead of Otis' arrival. Authorities closed Acapulco's port, where around 300 fishing boats remain anchored. A hurricane warning was also in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo, while a tropical storm warning is active from Lagunas de Chacahua to Punta Maldonado, as per CNN. 📢 Familia guerrerense, ante el huracán #Otis, ya habilitamos refugios temporales en Tecpan, Coyuca y Acapulco. 🏠 En todos encontrarán seguridad y calor. Sigan las indicaciones oficiales y manténganse al tanto. 🙏 #LaPrevenciónEsTareaDeTodasYTodos pic.twitter.com/9vk79zU4In — Evelyn Salgado Pineda (@EvelynSalgadoP) October 25, 2023 Just a few days ago, Hurricane Norma had struck the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, killing at least three people as it passed along the northwest coast. On October 11, the powerful Hurricane Lidia left one person dead and several injured after battering Mexico's Pacific coast. In the Atlantic, Hurricane Tammy continued moving northeastward over open water with winds of 85 mph (140 kph) after sweeping through the Lesser Antilles is expected to become a powerful extratropical cyclone by Thursday. With inputs from agencies
