ABC News October 23, 2018

Powerful Hurricane Willa makes landfall in Mexico as Category 3 storm

WATCH: US bracing for possible nor'easter because of Hurricane Willa

Hurricane Willa, now a powerful Category 3 storm, has made landfall in Mexico with winds of 120 mph.

The hurricane made landfall near Isla Del Bosque, Sinaloa, which is about 10 miles south of Escuinapa, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A weather station near Marismas Nacionales recently reported a wind gust of up to 95 mph.

Willa was about 70 miles south of Mazatlán, Mexico, Tuesday afternoon and is forecast to make landfall later in the day.

As the storm made landfall, strong winds and dangerous storm surge are expected along Mexico's southwest coast.

Flooding is also a major concern. Some coastal areas of mainland Mexico could see up to 18 inches of rain.

Henry Romero/Reuters
A boy walks inside a store with taped-up glass panels, to protect against the expected severe winds of Hurricane Willa, as it approaches the Pacific beach resort of Mazatlan, Mexico, Oct. 22, 2018.
AFP/Getty Images
Workers protect a storefront with wood panels at the Mazatlan port in Sinaloa, Mexico, on Oct. 22, 2018, before the arrival of Hurricane Willa.
Marco Ugarte/AP
Residents cover windows with wood ahead of Hurricane Willa in Mazatlan, Mexico, Oct. 22, 2018.

Inland regions can expect up to five inches of rain in some areas.

Hurricane Willa is expected to make landfall today in Mexico.
(MORE: How to prepare for a hurricane and other key things to know)

Willa is forecast to rapidly weaken as it reaches the San Madre Occidental mountain range.

At the same time, the storm will be intercepted by a shortwave trough, and as a result, it will gain speed as it travels northeast toward Texas.

Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images
General view of the Malecon (boardwalk) in Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, on Oct. 22, 2018, before the arrival of Hurricane Willa.
(MORE: How to help those affected by Hurricane Michael, the strongest US storm since 1969) (MORE: What to know about dangerous storm surge)

The remnants of Willa are expected to combine with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, which could mean major rainfall in Texas and Louisiana.

Some areas of western Louisiana and eastern Texas could see over 3 inches of rain through Friday.

Tropical rainfall will be battering Texas by Wednesday evening.
Local rainfalls throughout the South likely will be approaching 4 inches.