Hurricane Kay gathered strength in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday and was on course to bring strong winds and heavy rain to Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, forecasters said.

The storm has become a Category Two hurricane -- the second lowest on a scale of five, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

At 1800 GMT, Kay packed maximum sustained winds of around 105 miles (170 kilometers) per hour and was located about 210 miles southwest of Baja California's southern tip, the NHC said.

Hurricane or tropical storm warnings were in effect for much of the peninsula's coastline, and there was a risk of flash flooding, landslides and destructive waves, it said.

Authorities opened storm shelters in the state of Baja California Sur, home to several beach resorts including Cabo San Lucas.

The center of Kay was expected to pass to the west of southern Baja California on Wednesday before moving north close to the peninsula's western coast, the NHC said.

Heavy rain and large swells could also affect the US state of California in the coming days, it warned.

Mexico is regularly lashed by tropical storms on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, generally between the months of May and November.

This year was the first since 1997 that no tropical cyclones formed in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico in August, according to the NHC.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Typhoon kills one, leaves several missing in South Korea
Busan, South Korea (AFP) Sept 6, 2022
Typhoon Hinnamnor killed one person and left nine missing on Tuesday, before heading back to sea with few reports of major property damage. The typhoon, one of the most powerful to bear down on the country in decades, hit the southern island of Jeju overnight before making landfall near the port city of Busan, which was battered by huge waves and heavy rain which damaged beachfront roads and shops. Early Tuesday in the eastern port city of Pohang, an elderly woman in her 70s was swept away in f ... read more