Tropical Storm Julio lashed the southern half of Mexico's Baja California peninsula with rain early Monday, but was expected to weaken to a tropical depression and move out over the Gulf of California later in the day, AP reported. The storm drenched the resort-studded southern Baja California with heavy rains Sunday as authorities evacuated more than 2,500 families living along riverbeds near the coast. Tropical storm warnings for the southern tip of Baja California were discontinued but remained in effect farther north on the peninsula's west coast from Punta Abreojos to El Pocito and along the east coast from Mulege to San Juan Bautista. By early Monday, the storm was centered about 45 miles (70 kilometers) west-northwest of Loreto, moving north-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph).
