Tropical Storm Julio bore down on the resort-dotted tip of the Baja California peninsula on Sunday, prompting warnings of heavy desert rains, AP reported. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Julio was not expected to become a hurricane, though it will likely strengthen. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) early Sunday and was centered about 85 miles (140 kilometers) south of the southern tip of the resorts at Cabo San Lucas. Tropical storm force winds extended 85 miles (65 kph) at some points. «We think it's going to remain a tropical storm. There's not a zero chance of a hurricane but it's very small,» said Richard Knabb, a senior hurricane specialist with the center. The Mexican government issued a tropical storm warning from Bahia Magdalena on the West Coast of the peninsula around the southern tip and up to Loreto on the East Coast. Julio was moving north-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph). Forecasters said the storm was likely to produce rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters).
