Norma reaches hurricane strength near Mexico

Tropical Storm Norma surged to hurricane strength late Friday off Mexico’s Pacific coast which was pounded just hours earlier by Tropical Storm Max.

Norma looked likely to churn toward the Los Cabos resort area, according to the US National Hurricane Center in Miami.

At 0300 GMT, Norma was 270 miles (435 km) south of Cabo San Lucas, packing top sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kmph). It was expected to strengthen in coming days the NHC said.

After barreling into Mexico’s Pacific coast as a Category One hurricane, Max was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday.

That storm, still packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers (70 miles) per hour, was moving inland over southern Mexico at approximately 13 kilometers per hour, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Situated east of Acapulco, it was expected to weaken and bring “torrential rains” over coastal areas of the southwestern Guerrero state and neighboring Oaxaca, which is still suffering the effects of a massive earthquake last week.

Max has triggered warnings of life-threatening conditions in areas hit by the devastating 8.2 quake, which killed 96 people.

Guerrero state and western parts of Oaxaca state were forecast to receive 12.5 to 25 centimeters (five to 10 inches) of rain, with some areas receiving more than 50 centimeters.

(Source: AFP)

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