Hurricane John makes landfall, poised to inundate southern Mexico with 50 inches of rain

Even as John loses wind intensity over southwestern Mexico, life-threatening impacts from flooding rainfall and mudslides are forecast in one of Mexico's largest cities and biggest tourist destinations.

Tropical Storm John rapidly intensified into a major hurricane before making landfall in south-central Mexico on Monday evening local time. AccuWeather meteorologists warn that with the storm now inland, it can continue to bring life-threatening conditions and possible extreme damage around Acapulco due to torrential rain as winds gradually subside.

Near and just east of where the eye moved ashore in south-central Mexico, a storm surge of 6-10 feet likely occurred. John reached the Mexican coastline just to the south-southwest of Marquelia around 9:15 p.m. local time on Monday with winds of 120 mph--which is the intensity of a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

John rapidly intensified in 24 hours. When a tropical storm or hurricane's winds increase by 35 mph or greater in 24 hours or less, it has rapidly intensified. At 9 p.m. on Sunday, local time, John was a tropical depression with 35-mph winds. At 9 p.m. on Monday, John was a 120-mph hurricane and had increased by 85 mph in 24 hours, or more than double the rapid intensification criteria.

"John will have the impact of a 3 or a 4 on the Accuweather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes," DaSilva said, "While John will continue to lose wind intensity while well inland, it may stall and continue to wring out tremendous amounts of rain in the vicinity."

AccuWeather's RealImpact™ Scale factors include storm surge, flooding rainfall, economic impacts, population affected and damaging winds. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale only rates a hurricane's intensity based on sustained winds.

• Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

Because of the ongoing excessive rainfall with life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides, the RealImpact™ of 3 will likely continue days after the storm produced Category 3 winds on the Saffir-Simpson Scale at landfall. John will continue as a tropical rainstorm well after it diminishes to a tropical depression.

"John will easily unload 8-16 inches of rain on the steep terrain, but there is an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ rainfall of 50 inches," DaSilva said, "That can lead to extreme to catastrophic flooding."

While the major city of Acapulco, Mexico, dodged John's worst wind impacts, the meandering storm will unload some of the biggest rainfall on the area and the interior countryside into Wednesday and perhaps into the end of the week.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.