Lorena is downgraded to a tropical storm but still poses a flooding and mudslide threat to Mexico

MIAMI AP Hurricane Lorena weakened to a tropical storm Thursday but forecasters explained a life-threatening jeopardy of flash flooding and mudslides was still present for parts of Mexico s Baja California peninsula Tropical Storm Lorena had maximum sustained winds of mph kph the U S National Hurricane Center revealed The storm was centered about miles kilometers west of Cabo San Lazaro Mexico and traveling northwest at mph kph Lorena was expected to weaken further but could still bring isolated rainfall amounts up to inches centimeters to parts of the Mexican states of Baja California Sur Baja California and Sonora The pitfall of flash flooding and mudslides was expected to remain into Friday Forecasters urged people on the Baja California peninsula and in northwestern Mexico to monitor the storm s progress In Arizona and New Mexico the weather center reported that heavy rainfall up to inches centimeters was practicable and issued watches for isolated flash flooding into Saturday Lorena s track was still uncertain with the latest forecast suggesting the center of the storm would remain offshore just west of the Baja California peninsula Lorena was expected to be a remnant low by Friday night Meanwhile Hurricane Kiko was still a Category storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with maximum sustained winds near mph kph according to the hurricane center It was centered about miles kilometers east of Hilo Hawaii and was traveling west at mph kph Forecasters declared that Kiko was expected to fluctuate in intensity over the next two or three days There was also an increasing menace of impacts for Hawaii from Kiko next week It was too soon to determine the exact location or intensity of impacts forecasters disclosed so people were encouraged to monitor the hurricane s progress There were no watches or warnings associated with Kiko as of Thursday Source