Hurricane watches were issued for parts of Cuba and Mexico on Monday as a cluster of storms located south of the Cayman Islands was expected to strengthen into a major hurricane in upcoming days while moving north toward the U.

By Fredy Garcia PUERTO ESCONDIDO, Mexico (Reuters) -Hurricane John hit Mexico's southern Pacific coast late on Monday as a major category 3 storm, with authorities warning residents to protect themselves against potentially deadly storm surges and torrential rain.