Paula formed Monday off the coast of Honduras and quickly intensified into a hurricane early Tuesday, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami, and it was already causing flooding along the Honduran coast and the Bay Islands. Airports in the region were closed Monday evening.

Around dawn Tuesday, it had winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was centered about 190 miles (310 kilometers) south-southeast of the resort island of Cozumel in Mexico. Paula was moving toward the northwest at nearly 10 mph (17 kph), bringing it near the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday night and Wednesday. The Hurricane Center said the storm was likely to gain force, though it was not expected to become a major hurricane. [ YAHOO NEWS ]