Hurricane Hilary threatened to bring strong winds, flash floods and “life-threatening” surf and rip current conditions in Mexico and California this weekend, the United States National Hurricane Center has warned.
The warning prompted residents and workers in Cabo San Lucas, a resort city on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, to put up protective boarding, lay sandbags and store furniture as protection against expected large waves crashing ashore on Friday.
In the US, “rainfall amounts of three to six inches, with isolated amounts of 10 inches, are expected across portions of southern California and southern Nevada. Dangerous to locally catastrophic flooding will be possible,” the NHC said.
Hilary was located about 285 miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas with maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers an hour, according to the NHC.
“On the forecast track, the center of Hilary will move close to the west coast of the Baja California peninsula over the weekend and reach southern California by Sunday night,” it forecast.
“Weakening is expected to begin by Saturday, but Hilary will still be a hurricane when it approaches the west coast of the Baja California peninsula Saturday night and Sunday. Hilary is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by late Sunday before it reaches southern California,” the NHC added.
A hurricane warning was issued for a stretch of coastline in Baja California from Punta Abreojos to Cabo San Quintin, and a hurricane watch north from there to Ensenada.
Across the border, an unusual tropical storm watch was in effect from the California/Mexico border to Point Mugu in Ventura County, as well as for Catalina Island, according to the NHC.
The storm brought rain and rough seas to areas along Mexico’s southwestern Pacific coast, including the tourist resort of Acapulco.
WITH AFP