US News
Pacific storm bears down on Acapulco; Ernesto fizzles
By DPA
Aug 30, 2006, 19:00 GMT

Washington - Hurricane John grew further into a category four storm Wednesday with heavy winds threatening the Pacific coast of Mexico, as a companion storm over Florida was downgraded to to a tropical depression.

The US National Hurricane Centre upgraded hurricane John from a category three to a category four storm Wednesday morning, and said it could continue to strengthen throughout the day.

The storm is located about 260 kilometres west of Acapulco, Mexico and was moving northwest at 19 kilometres per hour, but John's centre was not expected to reach land.

Still, Mexican officials extended the hurricane warning along the Pacific coast and hurricane force winds were expected to reach land.

The hurricane centre downgraded Tropical Storm Ernesto to a weaker tropical depression as it lost strength over Florida Wednesday. Ernesto was located 85 kilometres west-southwest of West Palm Beach, Florida and was moving slowly north.

Ernesto is predicted to return to the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday night and then head up the US coast. North Carolina Governor Mike Easley said in a press conference that he had activated his state's National Guard to respond to the storm.

Ernesto's winds were reaching 55 kilometres per hour and coastal storm surge flooding of up to 1 metre was predicted for areas in the storm's path. Tornadoes were possible over much of eastern Florida, according to the hurricane centre.

After the National Hurricane Centre said Ernesto was unlikely to regain hurricane strength over the peninsula, the US space agency NASA reversed an order to move the space shuttle Atlantis to a protective hanger and hours later sent it back to its Cape Canaveral launch pad in hopes of a launch next week to the International Space Station.