Southwest Mexico prepares for heavy wind, rain as Beatriz nears coast

June 30 (UPI) -- Hurricane Beatriz was "very near" Mexico's southwestern coast Friday evening and expected to bring heavy rain and hurricane-force winds to the region late Friday and early Saturday, hurricane forecasters said.

The storm is a Category 1 hurricane, and National Hurricane Center forecasters warned that it is expected to also bring "dangerous" storm surge to parts of the coast.

In its 7 p.m. CDT update, the NHC said Hurricane Beatriz was located about 70 miles southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico.

It was traveling northwest at about 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. A storm is classified as a Category 1 hurricane at maximum sustained winds of 74 mph.

The center of Beatriz was forecast to move over portions of Mexico's southwestern coast late Friday through Saturday before moving away from the west-central coast Saturday night and Sunday, the NHC said.

A hurricane warning was in effect from Zihuatanejo to Cabo Corrientes, Mexico and hurricane watches were in place from north of Cabo Corrientes to Punta Mita, Mexico. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for north of Cabo Corrientes to Punta Mita Mexico, and a tropical storm watch was in place north of Punta Mita to San Blas Mexico, and Las Islas Marias.

Hurricane conditions were expected within the warning area from Friday through Saturday and a storm total rainfall of 3-5 inches with a maximum of 8 inches was forecast throughout southern Mexico from Guerrero west-northwest to Nayarit.

"This rainfall could lead to localized flash flooding and mudslides," NHC said.

Beatriz is the second named storm of the Pacific hurricane season.