Hurricane Newton hit Cabo early this morning at around 02.00. Winds were fierce with maximum
sustained speeds reaching 125 km/h. And occasional gusts of upto 187km/h.
Luckily there has been no serious damage or death in Los
Cabos. Dawn rescues were made to people trapped in flooded homes.
Internet and power was knocked out for a few hours but
was pretty much back up and running by 11am this morning.
And although the worst may now have passed, prevention
protocols remain in place and people have been asked to remain at home.
La Paz was hit by around 10 this morning, and also suffered
power, cell phone and internet loss for a few hours. Just under two hundred
people sought safety in the temporary shelters.
All main roads have been declared passable, but people
are urged to take extreme care as landslides and flooding are still highly
likely.
Newton is expected to further progress by land on the
peninsula to reach Loreto as a tropical storm where winds will present up to
140 kilometers per hour.
The storm is then forecast to make a turn to the north by
tonight and reach the Sonora coast early tomorrow morning. Some gradual
weakening is expected over the next 24 hours, the NHC advisory said, but will
remain a hurricane when it makes a second landfall.
Regions of Baja California Sur can still expect
torrential rainfall with accumulations of up to 250 millimeters, said the
National Meteorological Service this morning .
Photo-Tribuna de Los cabos