Tropical storm warning for Los Cabos, Mexico

MEXICO: Hurricane season roared on as Jose threatened heavy surf along the US East Coast Saturday, Tropical Storm Norma neared Mexico’s resort-studded Baja California Peninsula, and Tropical Storm Maria formed in the Atlantic Ocean and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane, taking aim at some already-battered Caribbean islands.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee formed in the Atlantic and Tropical Storm Otis in the Pacific. Neither threatened land.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula due to Norma, which weakened into a tropical storm on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 100kmh, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.

Norma was 335km south of Cabo San Lucas and moving north at 6kmh, with forecasters saying it could approach waters southwest of the peninsula late Sunday or early Monday local time.

The peninsular region that’s home to the twin resort cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo was hit about two weeks ago by Tropical Storm Lidia.

The Baja California Sur government readied storm shelters and cancelled classes for Monday as well as a planned military parade in the state capital, La Paz, amid Mexican Independence Day celebrations.

In the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose was far from land but generating powerful swells that the centre said were affecting coastal areas in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola and the US southeast.

The centre added that tropical storm watches were possible for the US East Coast later in the day and advised people from North Carolina to New England to monitor Jose’s progress. The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 130kmh. It was located about 775km southsoutheast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. -AP