Hurricane Celia threat lessens

2010-06-21 11:28

Mexico City - Hurricane Celia, the first hurricane of the 2010 Pacific season, formed in the eastern Pacific near Mexico on Sunday but was headed away from land, the US National Hurricane Centre said.

Celia, with winds up to 120km/h, was 590km south of the tourist resort of Acapulco and was moving toward the west, away from Mexico, at 11km/h.

"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours," the centre said.

Tropical storm Blas, which on Thursday became the second named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, was 755km south of Baja California and was expected to continue to move west, away from the coast.

In May, Tropical Storm Agatha slammed into the Guatemalan coast and caused flooding and mudslides that killed at least 180 people.

Mexico's key oil export facilities are in the Gulf of Mexico, well away from Celia's path.

- Reuters

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