ACAPULCO, Mexico, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Hurricane John, moving north-northwest along the southwest coast of Mexico, has been upgraded to a dangerous Category 4 storm by forecasters in Miami.
At 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported that the center of the storm was located about 100 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico, and about 120 miles west of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico. John was moving north-northwest near 16 mph, and was expected to continue on that track for 24 hours, just off the Mexican coast.
However, forecasters said "only a slight deviation" from the track could bring the storm onshore within the area where a hurricane warning was posted Wednesday -- from Lazaro Cardenas westward to Cabo Corrientes.
The hurricane's top sustained winds were near 135 mph with higher gusts, and forecasters said additional strengthening was possible during the next 24 hours.
A hurricane watch was posted from Tecpan de Galeana to Lazaro Cardenas and for the Islas Marias. A hurricane watch was also in effect for the southern Baja Peninsula from La Paz southward on the east coast, and from Santa Fe southward on the west coast, including Cabo San Lucas.
A tropical storm warning was posted from Acapulco to Lazaro Cardenas, and a tropical storm watch was in effect from north of Cabo Corrientes to Mazatlan.
