Sylvie Claire / August 20, 2023
Hurricane Hilary, category 3 on a scale of 5, was approaching the Baja California peninsula in northwestern Mexico on Saturday. According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), it could bring heavy rainfall and flooding to this part of Mexico, as well as to the southern US state of California.
With wind gusts of up to 185 km/h, compared with 215 km/h the previous day, the hurricane was downgraded to category 3.
In the seaside resort of Los Cabos, Baja California, popular with foreign tourists, businesses were protected with sandbags and furniture was sheltered.
Hilary is moving in a northwesterly direction, and the center of the storm is expected to reach southern California on Sunday night, according to the NHC.
It is the first hurricane of the season to make landfall on the Pacific side. "This hurricane will be a tropical storm Sunday afternoon, before reaching southern California", according to the NHC forecast.
Mexico's meteorological services are forecasting heavy rain, accompanied by showers, in a dozen states. They are calling for extreme caution due to the risk of mudslides and river overflows.
Every year, Mexico is hit by tropical cyclones on its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.