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Mexico’s Baja battens down as Hurricane Newton approaches

The center of Newton is expected to be near or over the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula Tuesday morning, by which time it could be near hurricane intensity.

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The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Newton’s winds Tuesday morning were around 90 miles per hour (150 kph) and the storm is expected to still be a hurricane when it makes its second landfall on the northwest coast of mainland Mexico early Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds were up to 85mph, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Hurricane Newton barreled up Mexico’s Baja California peninsula tourist haven on Tuesday, dumping heavy rains as winds whipped, but there were no immediate reports of major damage.

Global Affairs Canada has issued a travel advisory as the hurricane heads toward the Baja California peninsula.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Mexico’s coast from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes and from north of La Paz to San Evaristo.

Boat owners pulled fishing craft in from the water ahead of the storm’s arrival and business owners nailed boards and sheets of plywood over windows in Cabo San Lucas, which was hammered by Category 3 Hurricane Odile in 2014.

Newton threatened to cause more mudslides and flooding in eight states along the Pacific coast, Mexican authorities said, adding that thousands of shelters were readied. Ruiz said tourists had been advised to remain in their hotels.

Torrential rain that began Saturday morning flooded some 1,400 homes and caused more than 30 landslides on highways in Guerrero, civil protection authorities said.

Los Cabos mayor Arturo de la Rosa Escalante said storm shelters were being opened and low-lying areas would be evacuated.

Earlier on Monday, as a tropical storm, Newton dumped torrential rains that prompted 100 people to evacuate their homes and damaged residences in Uruapan in the Pacific coast state of Michoacan, the city government reported. “There is enough food and fuel for the next 20 days”.

“This will keep the storm stronger for awhile, likely keeping it at hurricane strength into Wednesday”, said Moore, adding that after the storm makes its second landfall in northeast Mexico on Wednesday, it is expected to weaken to a tropical storm and even further to a tropical depression as it makes its way into Arizona.

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Los Cabos police were stationed at shopping malls to guard against the kind of looting that occurred after Hurricane Odile struck the area in 2014 as a Category 3 storm, with 125 miles per hour (205 kph) winds. News stories displayed here appear in our category for General and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization. Please see our terms of service for more information.

Workers board over a store front in preparation for Hurricane Newton in Cabo San Lucas Mexico Monday Sept. 5 2016. Authorities at the southern end of Mexico's Baja California peninsula ordered schools closed and set up emergency shelters as Hurri