MEXICO CITY - Hurricane Blanca strengthened off Mexico 's Pacific coast early on Wednesday to a category 2 storm, and is expected to move toward the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula , the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Blanca, the second hurricane off the Mexican coasts so far this year, was about 410 miles south-southwest of the beach resort of Zihuatanejo, with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (175 kmh), the NHC said.
The storm was nearly stationary, but is forecast to accelerate toward the north-northwest on Thursday.
Last September, Hurricane Odile battered southern Baja California, wreaking havoc in upmarket tourist resorts like Los Cabos and stranding thousands of tourists.
