Mexico City, Sep 6 (AP) Hurricane Kay quickly strengthened off Mexico's Pacific coast on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with forecasters saying it could brush the Baja California Peninsula as a hurricane this week.

The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said Kay was located about 305 miles (495 kilometers) southwest of the seaport of Manzanillo.

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Kay was moving west-northwest at 10 mph (17 kph). A tropical storm watch was issued for the southern part of the Baja Peninsula.

Forecasters expected Kay to stay offshore as it moves more northward, roughly parallel to the coast as it continues to strengthen.

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Kay could draw near to land later in the week at a relatively unpopulated spot around Isla de Cedros.

In the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Earl was gaining force northeast of Puerto Rico, dropping heavy rain across the Leeward Islands, the US and British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

On Monday, Earl was located about 265 miles (425 kilometers) north of the island of St. Thomas and was heading north at 6 mph (9 kph).

Earl had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph) and was expected to grow into a major hurricane later this week while turning toward the open Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Danielle weakened somewhat far out over the Atlantic — some 885 miles (1,430 kilometers) west-northwest of the Azores.

It had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph).(AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)