Rina tropical storm sweeping the Caribbean strengthened into a hurricane Monday and threatens Central America, including the coasts of Mexico, announced the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami.
"Further strengthening is expected in the next 48 hours and hurricane Rina should become a major hurricane by Tuesday evening," said the NHC.
At 1800 GMT, Hurricane Rina was in the Caribbean Sea 580 km east-southeast of Chetumal (southeastern Mexico) and progressed to 7 kmh towards the northwest, according to the NHC.
According to this trajectory, the category one hurricane on a scale with five levels reach Belize and Mexico by the end of the week.
Hurricane Rina was accompanied by winds of up to 120 kmh.
The hurricane could cause precipitation ranging from 50 to 100 mm in the Cayman Islands to the west of Cuba, according to NHC forecasters.
Central America has been swept by recent heavy rains that have made a hundred deaths, hundreds of thousands of people and wreaked havoc in infrastructure and crops.
Violence exceptional rainfall has been attributed by some experts to the combined effects of global warming and local phenomena.