Tropical Storm Newton strengthens off Mexico's Pacific coast

Newly formed Tropical Storm Newton drenched parts of western Mexico on Monday and headed north toward the Baja California peninsula, where it could strike as a hurricane.

Newton was centered about 320 miles (520 kilometers) southeast of Cabo San Lucas Monday morning and it was moving to the north-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported. Maximum sustained winds had increased to 60 mph (95 kph) and the center said it was likely to reach hurricane force before hitting land near the Los Cabos resorts at the tip of the peninsula on Tuesday morning.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Cabo San Lucas and the nearly coastline.

The center said the storm is likely to continue north into Arizona as a tropical depression later in the week.

The storm system caused flooding and some landslides in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero.