Tropical storm Cristina strengthened into a category-1 hurricane Wednesday as it moved away from Mexico's Pacific coast. Still, authorities warned of heavy rains. Cristina was located about 425 kilometers south of the Pacific port of Manzanillo, with maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) and higher gusts, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said early Wednesday. The hurricane was expected to gain strength, as it moved westward at a speed of 10 kph, unlikely to hit land. However, the storm could cause sea waves of up to 4 meters high in coastal areas, U.S. meteorologists said, and Mexican authorities warned of rising rivers and mudslides caused in southern and western Mexican states including Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Colima, and Jalisco.
