Mexico City, Oct 12 (IANS): A tropical storm is nearing the Mexican coast, approaching at a speed of 37 kmph, weather authorities said here.

Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN) said on Thursday that tropical storm Sergio was some 290 km away from Punta Abreojos on the western coast of Baja California Sur, Efe news reports.

In SMN's 10 p.m., forecast, it reported that Sergio is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm with sustained winds up to 95 kmph and gusts up to 110 kmph and would reach Guaymas Sonora as a tropical depression.

On Friday morning, the storm is expected to make landfall, 55 km east of Punta Abreojos and around later in the evening, it will touch the Mexican state Sonora, 245 km northeast of the port of Guaymas.

Sergio is expected to cause intense storms in Baja California and Baja California Sur and heavy rainfall in Sonora and Chihuahua states.

The Baja California Sur government declared an alert for Sergio and schools will be closed on Friday while 27 shelters are in operation to help residents of the affected areas.

Sergio turned into a tropical storm on September 29 in the Mexican Pacific region and became a hurricane, reaching category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale on Oct. 3, but was later downgraded as it headed towards land.