MEXICO CITY, Aug 18, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Tropical Storm Hilary strengthened into
a major hurricane in the Pacific on Thursday and was expected to further
intensify before approaching Mexico's Baja California peninsula over the
weekend, forecasters said.

Heavy rainfall was also expected in the southwestern United States from
Friday as the storm moves north, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Hilary was packing maximum sustained winds of about 120 miles (195
kilometers) an hour, according to the NHC.

That made it a major Category Three hurricane -- the third most powerful on
the Saffir-Simpson scale of one to five.

Hilary was located about 445 miles south of the tourist resort of Cabo San
Lucas on the southern tip of Baja California, the NHC said.

"Additional rapid strengthening is forecast during the next day or so, and
Hilary is likely to become a category four hurricane tomorrow (Friday)," it
predicted.

"Flash flooding, locally significant, will be possible," it added.

The storm brought rain and rough seas to areas along Mexico's southwestern
Pacific coast, including the tourist resort of Acapulco.

In the United States, parts of southern California and southern Nevada could
see heavy rain through early next week, the NHC said.

Hurricanes hit Mexico every year on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts,
usually between May and November.