Hurricane Rachel turns Category 3 off Mexico, dangerous surf warning issued

Hurricane Rachel has strengthened to a Category 3 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast, the Hurricane Center said. The storm was about 245 miles (390 kilometres) off the southern tip of Baja California and was moving slowly westward. It is expected to strengthen further over the next day before weakening over the weekend.

The latest update came as northern Mexico and parts of the US Southwest continued to deal with flooding and damage from the remnants of Hurricane Polo earlier this week. The Hurricane Center also warned that swells from Rachel are expected to produce life-threatening surf along Mexico's coast.

In its earlier advisory on Thursday, the centre said Rachel had strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. At that point, it was about 230 miles (370 kilometres) off the southern tip of Baja California, moving at 6 mph (9 kph), with winds of 105 mph (165 kph). It was expected to track along the Mexican coastline before turning west into the Pacific.

Mexican authorities said on Thursday that they remained on alert because forecasts pointed to very heavy rain in Baja California Sur, Sinaloa and Jalisco. They also warned of possible landslides, rising river levels, rivers overflowing, and flooding in low-lying areas.

On Wednesday night, the US Embassy in Mexico warned US citizens in Cabos San Lucas, a popular holiday destination for Americans, about beach and port closures and deadly rip currents.

The Pacific has had an unusually busy hurricane season, which experts have linked to El Nino. They said the weather pattern has fuelled crippling droughts in Mexico and Central America and flooding in other parts of the region. In the Pacific, it has led to warmer waters and wind patterns that help hurricanes form and strengthen. Tropical Storm Nolo was continuing on a north-west path away from Hawaii on Thursday, though the Weather Service said it could become a hurricane by the weekend.

Meanwhile, parts of Texas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa remained under flood watch on Thursday afternoon as storm remnants continued to batter the region. Streets and neighbourhoods were flooded and water rescues were carried out. Wednesday was the wettest day on record for Lincoln, Nebraska, which received 6.1 inches of rain, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Climate Office.

In Omaha, which received 4.7 inches of rain on Wednesday, the fire department said it responded to 80 water rescues over a three-hour period ending early Thursday. Some floodwaters reached depths of 8 feet. Schools remained open, but many buses could not leave flooded parking lots, prompting officials to ask parents to take their children to school.

More than 20,000 residents in Texas were without power on Thursday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. Videos posted on social media showed floodwaters in Texas creating waves along Interstate 35 in Denton. The city of San Antonio asked residents to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain.

In Chicago, a wastewater treatment and stormwater management utility asked residents to reduce water use to prevent flooding and stormwater backup. "We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems," utility President Kari K. Steele said in a statement on Wednesday.

In Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday ahead of the storms, allowing state resources to assist first responders in badly affected communities. Overall, Rachel has strengthened further off Mexico's Pacific coast even as authorities in Mexico stay on alert for heavy rain and dangerous surf, and parts of the US continue to face flooding linked to recent storm systems.

With PTI Inputs

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