Enlarge imageBy Greg Brosnan
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hurricane Paul gained strength on Monday as it headed across the Pacific towards the posh beach and golfing resorts on the tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, the U.S. National Hurricane Centre said.
At Category 2 strength on forecasters’ five-step scale of hurricanes’ power, Paul had maximum sustained winds near 100 mph (160 kph) at 2 a.m. PDT (10:00 a.m. British time), and further strengthening was possible, the Miami-based centre said.
Paul’s top sustained winds had reached hurricane strength of 74 miles per hour (119 kph) on Sunday. A Category 2 storm can cause moderate damage.
The hurricane was moving west-northwest near 5 mph (7 kph) and a turn northwest and then north with an increase in forward speed was expected later on Monday.
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At 2 a.m. PDT (10:00 a.m. British time), Paul’s centre was about 475 miles south-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Forecasters said Paul would pass near Los Cabos, which is popular with U.S. golfers and other tourists, on Tuesday before heading for the Mexican mainland via the Sea of Cortez.
The Baja California peninsula extends south from the U.S. state of California. Hurricanes that enter the Sea of Cortez, surrounded on three sides by land, tend to fizzle out after running aground.
The Mexican government issued a hurricane watch for the southern tip of the peninsula. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area within 36 hours.
Los Cabos had been expected to receive a direct hit from Paul, but the hurricane center’s latest forecasts predicted its eye would pass just a few miles (kilometres) offshore.
Areas of the mainland near Paul’s predicted path had taken a hit from another storm, Hurricane Lane, in September. Lane missed the resorts before crashing into the mainland and leaving a path of destruction on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, killing three.
Two weeks earlier, Hurricane John forced tourists to flee but spared them in the end. Three people died when it slammed ashore farther north on the peninsula.
"(Paul’s) been strengthening very quickly," said Francisco Cota, head of civil protection for Los Cabos. "It’s very small and compact, but it’s bringing a lot of rain with it and it could do us a lot of harm."
The resorts are in low season, with most hotels currently about half full, one hotel manager said.
Ruben Cevallos, manager on duty at the sprawling Sheraton Hacienda del Mar resort and spa in Cabo San Lucas, said there were no immediate plans to evacuate. He said guests were calm and staff were keeping them abreast of Paul’s progress.
"The last hurricane didn’t do much to us," he said. "But whenever we have an alert like this, we get prepared."
