 from the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami, Florida, warned: "Hilary forecast to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane very soon... Tropical storm watch issued for the southern portion of Baja California Sur." Hilary could reach Category 4 hurricane strength with the possibility of up to 130mph winds. The NHC said the Hilary is moving northward and and "rapid strengthening is forecast." This was before the storm was upgraded to a hurricane earlier today. It was previously expected to become a major hurricane by Friday and perhaps skim the sparsely populated western edge of the Baja coast. The hurricane centre said it could survive briefly as a tropical storm and cross the US border. For all the latest news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US According to an earlier report, hurricane-force winds are currently being felt up to 70 miles from the centre of the storm, with tropical-storm-force winds up to 275 miles away. So when will Hurricane Hilary hit? A forecasting map by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed that Hilary is due to make landfall in the US at around 1pm on Monday, but rainfall could arrive as early as Saturday. The worst of Hilary's impact is forecast that day, but the course of the hurricane and its strength could change in the intermittent period. Early this morning, the storm was around 550 miles away from the Mexican coast with sustained wind speeds of around 85mph. It's believed Hilary could top ou){kind=link}
Floods are a possibility in parts of California as Hurricane Hilary makes its way toward the mainland US. Hilary was upgraded to hurricane status earlier today
A massive tropical storm threatens to bring pummelling rain, 130mph winds and torrential floods as it morphs into a powerful hurricane.
Storm Hilary could be on the way to parts of Southern California as Americans in the state have been warned to prepare for rainfall.
An advisory bulletin posted at 3am Mountain Daylight Time (MDT) from the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in Miami, Florida, warned: “Hilary forecast to rapidly intensify and become a hurricane very soon… Tropical storm watch issued for the southern portion of Baja California Sur.”
Hilary could reach Category 4 hurricane strength with the possibility of up to 130mph winds. The NHC said the Hilary is moving northward and and “rapid strengthening is forecast.” This was before the storm was upgraded to a hurricane earlier today.