Hurricane Newton swirled toward Mexico’s popular north western resorts of Los Cabos on Monday, prompting authorities to close schools and airports two years after a powerful storm pummelled the region.
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Newton’s maximum sustained winds increased to 75 miles per hour (120 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
Global Affairs Canada updated it travel advisory to Mexico, warning against non-essential travel to the coastline between Cabo San Lazaro to Loreto due to the storm.
Newton was located about 215 miles southeast of Cabo San Lucas Monday evening.
This week it’s Hurricane Newton impacting Mexico right now but likely will spread flooding into the US the next few days. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The storm’s moisture is set to reach the USA southwest later in the week, with the potential for torrential downpours in Arizona in particular, possibly triggering flash flooding.
Foreign tourists were still walking the streets of Cabo San Lucas even as workers began boarding over windows of businesses, and boat owners took their small fishing boats out of the water.
According to the Associated Press, State Tourism Secretary Genaro Ruiz said at least 14,000 tourists remained in Los Cabos and noted that all flights had been canceled late Monday ahead of the storm. It is now low season, and hotels popular with American tourists were not full, staff said.
“The most important thing is to stay at home”, said Carlos Godinez, a civil defense official for Baja California Sur state.
The government of the state of Baja California Sur opened several shelters with room for 16,000 people after the tropical storm was reclassified as a hurricane. “There is enough food and fuel for the next 20 days”.
In the resort of Acapulco, floods and landslides affected dozens of homes and schools and about 200 people had to be rescued from a housing complex. No deaths were reported.
Newton is expected re-enter the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, on Wednesday.
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The hurricane centre warned that the post-tropical cyclone would cause a storm surge and tide that could flood normally dry areas in the north eastern United States. AP material published by LongIsland.com, is done so with explicit permission. This includes the preparation of derivative works of, or the incorporation of such content into other works. Please see our terms of service for more information.
