Hurricane Elida now Category 2 off Mexico, no threat to land

MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Elida grew to Category 2 force off Mexico’s northwestern coast on Tuesday, but forecasters said it was not expected to pose a threat to land.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said storm, which reached hurricane force the evening before, had grown to have maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph) Tuesday.

It was centred about 250 miles (405 kilometres) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and was heading to the west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph).

It was expected to remain out to sea while starting to weaken later Tuesday while moving over cooler waters.

The Hurricane Center said that swells generated by Elida were expected to affect portions of the coast of west-central Mexico and the southern Baja California Peninsula during the next day or two.

Elida is the second hurricane of the eastern Pacific season, following last month’s Hurricane Douglas.