Hurricane Priscilla lashes western Mexico with heavy rain and strong winds

MIAMI — Western Mexico was being lashed Monday by a hurricane bringing heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf to coastal areas and the Baja California peninsula

MIAMI — Western Mexico was being lashed Monday by a hurricane bringing heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf to coastal areas and the Baja California peninsula.

A tropical storm watch was issued for Baja California Sur from Cabo San Lucas to Cabo San Lazaro, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said in an advisory.

Hurricane Priscilla was spinning just off the coast of Mexico, about 205 miles west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

On Monday night, the government of Baja California Sur announced the cancellation of classes at all educational centers starting Tuesday in Los Cabos and La Paz as a preventive measure. It also set up a dozen shelters in Los Cabos for people living in areas at risk.

Parts of southwestern Mexico could get up to 4 inches of rain from Priscilla’s outer bands through Wednesday, bringing a flash flooding risk to Michoacán and Colima states, forecasters said.