Hurricane Rachel strengthens to a Category 3 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY -- Hurricane Rachel has been upgraded to a Category 3 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast, according to the National Hurricane Center, as northern Mexico and parts of the U.S. Southwest were reeling from flooding and damage from the remnants of Hurricane Polo earlier this week.The storm, located about 245 miles (390 kilometers) off the southern tip of Baja California, is slowly continuing westward and expected to strengthen in the next day before weakening this weekend.Rachel’s swells are expected to generate life-threatening surf off Mexico’s coast, the NHC warned. The maximum sustained winds were 120 miles per hour (139 kph) as of Thursday afternoon.Mexican authorities said Thursday that they remain on alert because of forecasts of very heavy rain in the states of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Jalisco, and the possibility of landslides, rising river levels, overflowing rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.On Wednesday night, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico warned U.S. citizens in Cabos San Lucas, a popular vacation destination for Americans, of beach and port closures and deadly rip currents.The Pacific has seen an unusually busy hurricane season, which experts have att...