Canadians warned against travel to Mexico as hurricane Newton strengthens

Canadians are being advised against non-essential travel to Baja peninsula as a hurricane threatens to strike near the resorts of Los Cabos.

The National Hurricane Center upgraded Tropical Storm Newton into a hurricane on Monday afternoon as it drenched parts of western Mexico, heading north toward the Baja California peninsula.

Rains associated with Newton prompted some 100 people to evacuate their homes and damaged residences in Uruapan in the Pacific coast state of Michoacan, the city government reported. Some roads were blocked by flooding and mudslides in the neighbouring state of Guerrero, where some people were evacuated by helicopter. No deaths were reported in either state.

Global Affairs Canada updated it travel advisory to Mexico, warning against non-essential travel to the coastline between Cabo San Lazaro to Loreto due to the storm.

Newton was located about 215 miles (350 km) southeast of Cabo San Lucas Monday evening. The storm was moving northwest at 16 mph (26 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).

Forecasters expect Newton to continue moving in the same general direction with an increase in forward speed into Tuesday. The centre of Newton is expected to be near or over the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula Tuesday morning, by which time it could be near hurricane intensity.

Coastal portions of five Mexican states could see 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated maximums of 15 inches.

Newton is expected to cross over the peninsula and re-enter the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, on Wednesday.

The hurricane centre said the storm is likely to continue north into Arizona as a tropical depression later in the week.