MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tropical storm Calvin landed on Mexico's Pacific coast on Monday, and started weakening as it crossed southern states where it could dump as much as 20 inches (51 cm) of rain, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
On Monday night, Calvin was about 40 miles (64 km) west-southwest of the coastal town of Salina Cruz in southern Mexico, according to the Miami-based NHC. The storm was blowing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph), and moving northwest at five mph (three kph), the NHC added.
Calvin should continue to move inland over southeastern Mexico through early Tuesday, the hurricane center said.
"Steady weakening is forecast through Tuesday, and Calvin is expected to become a tropical depression by early Tuesday as the system interacts with the mountainous terrain of Mexico."
The storm is projected to rain 5-10 inches, but there could be isolated downpours of up to 20 inches, the NHC said. The rains could well result in "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the NHC said.
State-owned oil company Pemex's Salina Cruz refinery is in Oaxaca state.
(Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Grant McCool and Michael Perry)
