Hurricane Norma makes landfall near Mexico's Los Cabos as Tammy threatens islands in the Atlantic

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Norma made landfall near the resorts of Los Cabos at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula on Saturday afternoon.

The US National Hurricane Center said Norma, once a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph (130 kph) near el Pozo de Cota, west-northwest of Cabo San Lucas. Norma is expected to continue weakening over the weekend as it crosses into the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Gulf of California.

While in the Atlantic, Hurricane Tammy was very near Antigua and threatened to batter the islands of the Lesser Antilles.

Earlier on Saturday, businesses in Cabo San Lucas nailed up sheets of plywood over their windows, and government personnel hung up banners warning people not to try to cross gullies and stream beds after Norma regained strength and once again became a major storm Friday.

Norma had weakened early Saturday and was downgraded to Category 1 on the hurricane wind scale. By early afternoon Norma was located 15 miles west-northwest of Cabo San Lucas, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. It was moving north-northeast at 7 mph (11 kmh).

The hurricane was expected to continue on that path through the evening before turning to the northeast and slowing down through Monday. The forecast track would take a weakened Norma toward the mainland of Mexico's western Pacific coast as a tropical storm.

Its languid pace raised the possibility of severe flooding. Norma was expected to dump six to 12 inches of rain with a maximum of 18 inches in places across southern Baja California and much of Sinaloa state.

John Cangialosi, a senior specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said the area is vulnerable to rain because it's a dry region generally.

"Six to 12 inches of rain is what is generally forecast, but there could be pockets of up to 18 inches of rain and we do think that will be the most significant impact that could result in flash and urban flooding and mudslides," he said.

Authorities in San Jose del Cabo helped two families of tourist who had been stranded at the closed airport. Authorities took them to one of the 24 open shelters that by the afternoon held about 1,700 people.

There were early reports of downed trees and power poles, but no reported injuries or deaths.

The Los Cabos Civil Defense agency urged residents to stay indoors all day as winds and rain increased. Emergency workers rushed around the area evacuating people from low-lying areas and moving them to shelters.

Police in San Jose del Cabo rescued two people from their truck when a surging stream swept it away early Saturday. Some informal settlements, away from the hotels that serve tourists, were already isolated by rising water. Some neighbourhoods lost electricity and internet service.

By late morning, the area's streets were littered with palm fronds and other debris, and essentially deserted except for occasional military patrols. Strong winds whipped traffic signs, trees and power lines.

In the Atlantic, the US National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Tammy had winds of 85 mph (140 kph), and hurricane warnings were issued for the islands of Antigua, Barbuda, Montserrat, and St Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Barthelmy. Tammy was moving north-northwest at 10 mph (17 kmh).

Hurricane Tammy was about 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of Guadeloupe and 35 miles (55 kilometres) east-southeast of the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Tammy was expected to remain at hurricane strength and even strengthen slightly as it moved toward the Lesser Antilles through Saturday passing by Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda. Both Martinique and Guadeloupe are French overseas departments.

The hurricane center said in a report that "heavy rainfall and flooding (are) likely over much of the Lesser Antilles."

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