Priscilla to unleash flooding rainfall across southwest Mexico early this week

A new tropical system will bring a heightened risk of flash flooding and mudslides to southwestern Mexico through Monday.

The new tropical threat formed about 105 miles (169 km) south of Manzanillo, Mexico, early Sunday morning, and was upgraded to a tropical storm just a few hours later.

As of 4 p.m. CDT Sunday, Priscilla had made landfall east of Manzanillo, Mexico, and had weakened into a tropical depression. The system was moving north at 9 mph (15 km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h).

This satellite image shows newly formed Tropical Depression 19 off the southwestern coast of Mexico early Sunday morning. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)

The storm will dissipate over the next 24-36 hours while tracking inland over southwestern Mexico.

"The system will quickly weaken and dissipate Sunday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller said.

No matter the status of Priscilla, heavy rainfall is expected to be the main impact from the system.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect widespread rainfall totals of 3-6 inches (76-152 mm), with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 10 inches (254 mm).

Portions of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan are expected to bear the brunt of this rainfall.

"This rain will lead to the risk for dangerous flooding and mudslides across the region," Miller said.

The area's steep terrain will heighten the risk of fast-moving, potentially life-threatening debris flows.

This system is designated a less than 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes. The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes ranges from values of less than 1 to 5.

Elsewhere in the East Pacific basin, there are no other immediate tropical threats this week.

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