(CNN) — At least three people were killed in Tropical Storm Caye, according to Guerrero state civil defense director Roberto Arroyo, who spoke to Reuters on Sunday.
The storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane Monday night with maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour, according to Mexico’s National Water Authority.
Arroyo said the amount of rain has reached 140 mm.
According to Mexico’s National Weather Service, heavy rain fell in Nayarit, Jaliso, Colima, Michoacán, Puebla and Oaxaca.
Hurricane K is forecast to move northwestward over the next five days, remaining west of Mexico, including the Baja California peninsula. It is expected to strengthen over the next 36 hours and “may become a major hurricane at that time,” the US National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning.
Kay is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane within the next 12 hours and could reach Category 3 by Wednesday before starting to weaken on Thursday.
K Through Thursday night, 100 to 200 mm of rain is expected in parts of western Mexico, including the Baja California Peninsula, with isolated storms of up to 300 mm. This amount of rainfall can lead to flash floods including landslides.
The hurricane is currently expected to hit the coast parallel to the west coast of Mexico, but official forecasts indicate that K will stay offshore and not make landfall at this time, according to CNN meteorologist Monica Garrett.
A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the Baja California peninsula
According to the Mexican government, a hurricane warning has been issued for the west coast of the Baja California peninsula from Puerto Cortes to Punta Eugenia.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from Punta Abrejos south to Cabo San Lucas and from Cabo San Lucas to Santa Rosalia north. Additionally, a tropical storm warning is in effect from Santa Rosalia north to Bahia de los Angeles and from Punta Eugenia north to San José de las Palomas.
Hurricane K will move along the west coast of the Baja California peninsula late Wednesday into Friday. The storm will be at its closest and could make landfall in the central part of the peninsula late Thursday. Cyclone K is currently developing as a Category 1 Cyclone with sustained winds of 136.9 kmph and is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 Cyclone in the next 48 hours.
Winds will be strong as the storm’s center moves offshore, but heavy rain is inevitable. A wide range of 76 to 203 mm of rainfall is expected across the Baja California Peninsula, with up to 380 mm in the central parts of the peninsula.
