Hurricane Paula threatens Cancun

Cancun: A strengthening Hurricane Paula roared toward Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday night.

The hurricane smashed homes and forced schools to cancel classes in Honduras early on Tuesday, then grew into a Category 2 storm with top sustained winds of 160kph on its way to the Yucatan, the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami said.

Moving north at near 15 kph, Paula's centre was expected to pass just to the east of Cancun yesterday morning, and was expected to decrease in forward speed after that, the centre said.

It said the hurricane could get close to western Cuba by last night or early today.

The centre warned that preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Dozens of boat owners in Cancun hauled yachts and other vessels to shore, while sea tour operators canceled reservations. At least one company, Transbordadores del Caribe, canceled ferry trips from Playa del Carmen to the resort island of Cozumel south of Cancun, though others were still operating while the still-mild weather.

Armando Galmiche closed down his water-skiing tour business in Cancun and canceled 15 reservation he had for Tuesday afternoon. "It's already low season for tourism and, with this hurricane, things are going to get worse," he said, lamenting the loss of revenue.

Heavy winds

Along Cancun's popular strip of night clubs and discotheques, workers took down billboards and other large objects ahead of heavy winds.

Peter Bruin, a 25-year-old tourist from Rotterdam, Netherlands, was taking a stroll along the city's hotel zone, unaware that a hurricane was heading to Cancun.

"I hadn't heard anything but I'm not afraid," Bruin said. "It will be my first hurricane experience."

Early Tuesday, heavy rains and high winds destroyed 19 homes in northeastern Honduras, said Lisandro Rosales, head of Honduras' emergency agency. Officials closed schools along the country's Atlantic coast and some airports were reported closed.

Tuesday afternoon, the hurricane was centered about 135km south-southeast of Cozumel.

Paula was expected to dump from 8 to 15 centimetres of rain on Honduras, northern Belize, eastern portions of the Yucatan Peninsula and parts of western and central Cuba.

Certain to occur

The government of Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the country's Caribbean coast from Punta Gruesa north to Cabo Catoche, including the island of Cozumel.

Warnings are issued when hurricane conditions are almost certain to occur. A hurricane warning also was in effect for Cuba's westernmost province of Pinar del Rio.

Forecasters warned of possible flooding and landslides and suggested residents avoid fishing trips or water sports.