A tropical storm warning was in effect Saturday for the resort-studded southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula due to Hurricane Norma, which is forecast to pass nearby in the coming days.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was essentially stationary in the morning but was expected to resume motion toward the north and approach waters west of the peninsula late Sunday or early Monday.
Norma had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), just above the minimum threshold for a Category 1 hurricane. The storm was 260 miles (420 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas.
Hurricane Norma is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 8 to 12 inches over the southern portion of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, with isolated maximum amounts in excess of 20 inches possible. These rainfall amounts may produce life threatening flash floods.
The peninsular region that’s home to the twin resort cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo was hit about two weeks ago by Tropical Storm Lidia, which flooded streets and homes and killed at least four people.
In the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose was far from land but generating powerful swells that the center said were affecting coastal areas in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the U.S. southeast.
The center added that tropical storm watches were possible for the U.S. East Coast later in the day and advised people from North Carolina to New England to monitor Jose’s progress.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). It was located about 550 miles (885 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and was heading northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).
Related: Hurricane Max and Tropical Storm Norma form off Mexican Pacific coast, Tropical Storm Lidia’s death toll rises in Baja California
