Tropical Storm Norbert, currently off the west coast of Mexico, has officially been upgraded to a hurricane as of Wednesday. Norbert is the ninth named storm in a busy hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific, reports say.

According to the most recent weather advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), issued Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. PST, Hurricane Norbert was located approximately 215 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California and is moving in a west-northwesterly direction at approximately eight miles per hour.

A tropical storm warning is currently in place for La Paz to Santa Fe, Mexico. Tropical storm watches have been issued from just north of Santa Fe, continuing northward to Cabo San Lazaro, Mexico. Additionally, a tropical storm watch is in place from north of La Paz, Mexico to San Evaristo.

As of the latest NHC advisory, Norbert was located near latitude 19.8 north and longitude 109.6 west. The hurricane is expected to change course from its current west-northwest trajectory and turn to the northwest, continuing on that track over the next day or two.

On the forecast track, the center of Norbert is expected to approach the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula on Thursday and move nearly parallel to the Pacific coast of the peninsula on Friday. According to a report from The Weather Channel (TWC), maximum sustained winds as the storm moves up the coast through the rest of this week are expected to reach at least 100 miles per hour on both Thursday and Friday.

Currently, the maximum sustained winds are being reported at approximately 75 miles per hour with hurricane force winds extending outward up to 25 miles from the center of the storm. At this time, tropical storm force winds are extending outward up to 90 miles.

Tropical storm conditions are reportedly expected through the warning area by Thursday afternoon, while these storm conditions are expected to be possible in the watch areas by Friday morning.

TWC reports that by the weekend Norbert is expected to weaken as it travels over cooler water and into more stable air conditions west of the central Baja Peninsula.

Norbert is expected to dump between three and five inches of rain throughout southwestern Mexico over the next few days, which may cause threats of localized heavy rainfall, flash flooding and mudslides.

Additionally, Norbert is expected to produce southerly ocean swells that will reach south-facing beaches of Southern California by Thursday afternoon and lasting through Monday. Beachgoers in the affected area should be aware of the possibility of strong rip currents, high surf and minor flooding during high tide times.

According to the TWC report, Norbert's circulation and the background upper-level wind flow pattern may possibly draw moisture northward, providing "enhanced" rainfall over parts of the Desert Southwest through the weekend and into early next week. There is the potential for severe flash flood threats in this area over the coming days.

Be sure to check back in with us at Latin Post for the latest updates on this storm, which we will report on as soon as any new or additional information becomes available.

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