Hurricane Dora strengthens off Mexican coast

The Khaleej Times via AFP: Hurricane Dora intensified Wednesday as it brushed southern Mexico, pounding resort coastlines with dangerous surf and bringing heavy rains and wind likely to last through the weekend, officials said. Dora, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) southwest of the resort city of Acapulco, was packing sustained winds of 130 kilometers (80 miles) per hour and was expected to strengthen further, possibly becoming a major hurricane by Thursday, Mexican and US weather services said.

The storm — the fourth hurricane of the 2011 Pacific season — was churning along to the northwest at 30 kilometers (18 miles) per hour and in coming days will track parallel to the Mexican coast, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. Some NHC forecast models put the hurricane on track to affect the Baja California resort of Cabo San Lucas later in the week.

Mexico’s National Weather Service issued tropical storm watches for the southern coast, warned that large waves and heavy rain were pounding the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, and advised vessels in the vicinity to take precautions against high seas and heavy winds.

‘Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Dora could become a major hurricane by Thursday,’ the NHC said in a bulletin. The 2011 season’s first named storm, Arlene, left at least 16 people dead in Mexico after it drenched much of the country with heavy rains and left hundreds of thousands homeless….

Hurricane Dora's track as of July 18, 2011