Ida strengthens into hurricane

Officials readied storm shelters along Mexico's Caribbean coast and told fishermen and tour operators to pull in boats amid warnings that Tropical Storm Ida could become a hurricane as it neared the resort city of Cancun.

The United States National Hurricane Centre in Miami said Ida's winds last night had strengthened to 120km/h, a Category 1 hurricane.

A tentative forecast track predicted Ida could brush the US Gulf Coast this week as a hurricane. The warnings were also in effect for western Cuba and Grand Cayman Island.