Javier swirls toward Mexico, no hurricane seen

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Javier lost a little strength on Monday evening as it traveled towards the southern part of Mexico's Baja California peninsula, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm was moving northwest at 5 mph (8 kph) and had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (97 kph), the NHC said. "A weakening trend is forecast to begin by Tuesday afternoon," it said, adding that Javier was about 30 miles (48 km) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, a popular getaway for U.S. visitors on the peninsula. The NHC had earlier reported that the Mexican government discontinued a hurricane warning for Baja California, after the storm failed to pick up strength on its path northward. In eastern Mexico, mudslides triggered by intense rainfall in the wake of Tropical Storm Earl killed 40 people over the weekend as saturated hillsides collapsed onto homes. (Reporting by Christine Murray and David Alire Garcia; Additional reporting by Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein; Editing by Dan Grebler and Clarence Fernandez)