Hurricane Carlos brushes by fishing villages, port cities and tourist resorts in Mexico
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Officials are keeping a close watch on Hurricane Carlos as it spins off the shore of Mexico's southwestern coast, brushing by fishing villages, port cities and tourist resorts.
Civil Protection officials in Michoacan, the next state in Carlos' sights after it battered the shoreline of neighboring Guerrero, warned of heavy rain and possible hail. Waves were forecast to reach nearly 15 feet (4.5 meters).
Farther to the north in Jalisco state, home to the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, officials were inspecting coastal areas and preparations ahead of rains predicted for Tuesday, but ports, schools and airports remained open.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tuesday morning, Carlos was centered about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south of Manzanillo with top sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The storm was moving west-northwest at about 6 mph (9 kph).
The center predicted Carlos would lose strength and become a tropical storm by Wednesday and that it could turn to the north-northwest Wednesday morning.
Over the weekend, high surf kicked up by Carlos swamped some boats and washed away small palm-frond beach huts in Acapulco, while strong winds knocked down trees and billboards. No major damage or deaths were reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rain accumulations of 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) were possible in southwestern Mexico, with a chance for up to 15 inches (37 centimeters) in some areas, the Hurricane Center said.
A tropical storm warning was in effect from Punta San Telmo to Cabo Corrientes. A hurricane watch was posted from Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula.