Hurricane Norbert strengthens as it heads for Mexico's Baja peninsula
Last Updated: Friday, October 10, 2008 | 11:57 PM ET
CBC News
Hurricane Norbert became a Category 2 storm in the Pacific Ocean on Friday, churning toward Mexico's Baja California peninsula and forcing hundreds of people to flee to shelters.
The hurricane warning, which was issued Friday morning and remains in effect, affects the west coast of the peninsula from Punta San Andresito to Agua Blanca, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning was also issued later Friday for the coast of mainland Mexico from Topolobampo northward to Guaymas.
As of 8 p.m. PT, Norbert's maximum sustained winds remained steady at 165 km/h. The hurricane is heading north-northwest but is expected to turn north-northeast and head toward Mexico's coast, the weather service said.
Norbert is due to make landfall near the city of La Paz on Saturday, avoiding a direct hit on the resort town of Los Cabos, a popular destination for U.S. tourists.
Rescue authorities began removing people from low-lying areas on the western side of the peninsula as the first rains lashed the coast.
"This is now upon us, we expect the worst on Saturday morning," said Jose Gajon, head of the Baja California Sur civil protection agency.
Fishermen in La Paz removed their boats from the water and tourists left seafront hotels to head north, while workers boarded up businesses and offices. But other locals appeared relaxed.
"The tourists are going to be hiding in their hotels, but the locals know. We have a culture here about hurricanes; we're used to it," said Ricky Lieras, a La Paz resident.
Norbert is a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Some weakening is forecast before it reaches the Baja California coast, the weather service said.
Norbert was centred about 335 kilometres west of the southern tip of Baja California, and 290 kilometres south-southwest of Cabo San Lazaro Mexico. Its centre is expected to be very near the southern Baja California peninsula Saturday morning, and make a second landfall in northwestern Mexico on Saturday night.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the east coast of Baja California from Loreto northward to Mulege, the weather service said.
A tropical storm and hurricane watch remains in effect for the Baja California coast from south of Agua Blanca southward to Cabo San Lucas and northward around the peninsula to Loreto. The warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected within the area within the next 24 hours.
A tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch were issued Friday afternoon for the coast of mainland Mexico from Topolobampo northward to Guaymas, the weather service said.
Meanwhile, southeast of Norbert, Tropical Storm Odile has strengthened and is forecast to become a hurricane soon, the weather service said. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Odile from Lagunas de Chacahua westward to Zihuatanejo. The Mexican government also issued a tropical storm watch from west of Zihuatanejo to Punta San Telmo.
Odile's maximum sustained winds are near 95 km/h with higher gusts expected. The storm was centred about 125 kilometres south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico. The tropical storm could produce rainfall of 50 to 100 millimetres over portions of southern Mexico, and that could result in life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, the weather service said.
With files from the Associated Press, Reuters
