Jimena, Nearly Category 5, Targets Baja

Storm expected to hit Cancun, Cozumel

(AP) - Authorities evacuated fishing communities on Mexico's resort-studded Caribbean coast and some tourists began to leave, as Hurricane Rina took aim at Cancun and Cozumel today. In Cancun's hotel zone, a string of pickup trucks hauled small boats and jet skis away from marinas, while workers at shopping malls began boarding up windows. At least eight cruise ships were changing itineraries away from the storm's path, and many of the only 1,719 tourists in Cozumel—which could be the hardest hit area—were hightailing it out of town. More»

No damage reported; 6.9 tremor felt as far away as Phoenix, LA

(NEWSER) - A series of four earthquakes hit within an hour today under Mexico’s Gulf of California, BNO News reports. The second of the tremors, which at 9 miles deep were relatively shallow and thus more dangerous, registered a 6.9 on the Richter scale. No damage was immediately reported, and though one agency warned early about possible tsunami threats, that warning was soon canceled. More»

(NEWSER) - An El Niño has developed in the Pacific, a boon to Americans living near the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast who can expect fewer hurricanes as a result, the Palm Beach Post reports. The NOAA reported the conditions in June, and they could keep up through winter. “If it persists, we're in for a pretty quiet season,” says a Miami forecaster. But a newly identified phenomenon could spoil the optimism. More»

(NEWSER) - The star forecasters at Colorado State University are revising their predictions for the 2009 hurricane season down due to cooler ocean temperatures, Reuters reports. Between June and December, the Atlantic will see 12 tropical storms, six of which may develop into hurricanes. Two of those hurricanes could blow harder than 110 mph, making them Category 3 storms. The team originally forecast three major storms. More»