Hurricane Jova surges to category two storm

WASHINGTON: Hurricane Jova grew to a category two storm Sunday as it roiled the sea in the eastern Pacific, US meteorologists said, as the system remained on course to make landfall in central Mexican coast in the coming days.

The Miami-based US National Hurricane Center said in a 0300 GMT bulletin that Jova was now packing maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour (160 kilometers per hour).

Strengthening to a category two storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale prompted Mexican authorities to issue hurricane alerts for large swaths of the Pacific coastline, with the system some 260 miles (420 km) from the bustling port city of Manzanillo.