Skip to main content

Hurricane warning issued for southern Baja California

  • Story Highlights
  • NEW: Hurricane warning issued for the southern Baja California peninsula
  • The Category 4 storm is centered off Cabo San Lucas, traveling northwest at 10 mph
  • Jimena's sustained winds near 155 mph, but forecasters expect it to pick up speed
Decrease font Decrease font
Enlarge font Enlarge font

(CNN) -- Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the southern Baja California peninsula Monday in preparation for Hurricane Jimena, a powerful Category 4 storm with winds near 155 mph (250 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Forecasters expect Hurricane Jimena to approach the southwestern tip of Baja California's peninsula Tuesday.

Forecasters expect Hurricane Jimena to approach the southwestern tip of Baja California's peninsula Tuesday.

A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. The storm could bring as much as 2 feet of rain to the area, along with dangerous, battering waves, forecasters said.

Jimena was centered about 285 miles (460 km) south of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, according to the hurricane center. It was traveling northwest near 10 mph (17 kph) but meteorologists expect Jimena to pick up speed in the coming day.

Forecasters expect the storm to continue in a northwest motion and approach the southwestern tip of Baja California Tuesday, forecasters said.

"It's not expected to change in strength very much during the next day or so," said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist at the center. See the storm's projected path »

"It may begin to weaken a little as it approaches the Baja peninsula, but it's expected to remain a very dangerous hurricane, perhaps a Category 3 as it approaches that area."

Jimena is the 10th named storm of the Pacific season.

Residents in spots expected to be hit by Jimena should prepare for potentially rough conditions, Brown said.

advertisement

Tropical Storm Kevin is also making its presence felt in the Pacific Ocean, just to the west of Jimena, but it is weak and is not expected to do any damage, according to Brown.

"For the eastern Pacific, it has been about a near-normal season. It has gotten much busier here during the month of August," Brown said.

CNN's John Lorinc contributed to this report.

All About MexicoPacific OceanBaja California

  • E-mail
  • Save
  • Print