Mexican authorities are on high alert as Hurricane Newton is heading north-west towards the southern end of the Baja California peninsula with winds of about 75mph.
According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Hurricane Newton could trigger flash floods.
The NHC warned that preparations to protect life and property “should be rushed to completion”.
On September 5, overcast skies in the Los Cabos municipality gave way to heavy rain and the wind was building in strength.
Image source NASA
Twelve shelters opened and drivers queued to fill their cars with fuel ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.
The same weather system lashed areas of the south-western state of Guerrero over the weekend before strengthening to a tropical storm.
Torrential rain that began on September 3 caused more than 30 mudslides across Guerrero, forcing main roads to close.
In Acapulco, floods and landslides affected dozens of homes and schools and about 200 people had to be rescued from a housing complex.
Newton reached hurricane strength over the Pacific on September 5, prompting the Mexican government to issue a hurricane warning for the west coast of Baja California Sur from north of Puerto Cortes to Cabo San Lazaro.
The region is a popular tourist destination.
The NHC said that at 15:00 local time, the eye of the hurricane was about 215 miles south-east of Cabo San Lucas and grinding towards the coast at about 16mph.
It said that on its current path, Hurricane Newton should be near or over the southern end of the peninsula on Tuesday morning, September 6.
The NHC said it would move across the peninsula and reach north-western Mexico early on September 7.
Over the weekend, Florida was battered by Hurricane Hermine, before it weakened to a post-tropical storm and drifted off the US east coast.
Hurricane Hermine has killed at least one person in Florida and caused severe damage along the state’s northern Gulf Coast.
Hermine is the first hurricane to hit Florida in eleven years.
As the storm pushed into Georgia, it knocked down power lines leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Gusts of 80mph caused storm surges that flooded part of the coast.
Photo NASA
In Cedar Key, waters rose more than 9.5ft, among the highest surges ever seen, according to the National Weather Service.
After making landfall on September 2 in the morning, Hurricane Hermine swept through Florida and, weakening to a tropical storm, is now making its way towards South Carolina.
A tropical storm warning was issued for parts of New Jersey, Connecticut and New York City, the National Hurricane Center said.
The US Coast Guard also warned boaters and swimmers along the New York and New Jersey coasts to use caution in what is expected to be rough surf and hazardous rip currents this weekend.
Police in Taylor County, Florida, that has a population of more than 20,000, said the storm had inflicted “severe damage”.
In Tallahassee, where people were urged to move to higher ground to avoid flash floods, at least 70,000 homes were without power at one point, affecting 60% of people in the region.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott had earlier declared a state of emergency for 51 counties across the state.
According to weather officials, Hurricane Hermine could bring heavy rains along the East Coast in the coming days.
In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal also declared a state of emergency, for 56 counties, but the state was spared the havoc it had expected.
“We’re having a bit of a sigh of relief,” said Jim Butterworth, director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
However, 107,000 customers were reported to be without power across the state as crews worked to repair damage.
Some models show that Hurricane Hermine will stall near the New Jersey coast next week, potentially bringing prolonged heavy rain to the area.
Hurricane Hermine has become the first to hit Florida in 11 years.
Hermine has made landfall in northern Florida early on September 2 as a Category one hurricane, bringing with it a heavy storm surge.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for 51 counties as residents were braced for the dangerous storm.
Wind gusts reached 80mph on September 1, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
City officials in the state capital Tallahassee, which is in the path of the storm, said at least 70,000 homes were now without power.
Photo Wikipedia
Tallahassee weather officials warned of the risk of flash floods and urged people there to move to higher ground, but winds have now started to reduce as the storm moves inland.
While the area is prone to storms and storm surges, it has not seen a hurricane in close to 4,000 days.
The last hurricane to strike Florida was Wilma in October 2005, which made landfall in the same year as Katrina and caused five deaths and an estimated $23 billion of damage.
Gov. Rick Scott said: “This is life threatening. We have not had a hurricane in years.”
He added that 8,000 members of the Florida National Guard were prepared to be deployed in the wake of the storm.
Rick Scott ordered evacuations in five counties in Florida’s north-west and called for voluntary evacuations in three other coastal counties.
St Petersburg was littered with downed palm fronds and tree branches, and low-lying streets were flooded.
According to weather officials, Hurricane Hermine will also hit Georgia and the Carolinas, and could bring heavy rains along the East Coast in the coming days.
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency for 56 counties.
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