October 13, 2009 11:19 AM

Mexico Warns Of Heavy Rain, As Tropical Storm Patricia Moves Closer

MEXICO CITY, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- Tropical Storm Patricia strengthened on Monday and was heading for northern Mexico, where it would cause heavy rain in Baja California Sur and neighbouring states, the state-run National Meteorological Service (SMN) warned Monday.

La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur state, and the Pacific coast all the way up to the resort town of Santa Fe would bear the brunt of the storm, China's Xinhua news agency quoted the SMN as saying.

Coastal areas in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan should remain alert, it added.

The SMN said the storm was moving north-northeast with sustained winds of 86 km per hour (kph) and gusts of 100 kph.

Mexico has been hit by extreme weather for most of 2009 with a July drought that destroyed crops that would have produced millions of tons of corn and other grains, and floods in August and September that triggered a state of emergency in the east coast state Veracruz.

-- BERNAMA

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