Tropical storm John downgraded but deadly

Tropical Storm John was downgraded to a tropical depression over Mexico's Pacific coast; however, it still battered the cities in its path with severe flooding and landslides after four days of heavy rains and intense winds.

John struck the southwestern coast of Mexico as a powerful Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Its heavy rains and powerful winds left five people dead and dozens of trees and poles down.

After dissipating, its remnants moved into the Pacific Ocean, where it strengthened again to resume its path towards land, although moving slightly further to the northwest.

Its slow progress has punished cities such as Acapulco, the iconic resort town devastated last year by the powerful Hurricane Otis, with four days of rain.

Local media reported the disappearance of at least eight people in Guerrero, one of the poorest states in the country.

John was moving slowly north-northwest at 7 km/h and its remnants are expected to dissipate by the weekend.

Meanwhile Tropical Depression Helene brought life-threatening flooding to wide sections of the U.S. Southeast, where at least 33 people have been killed by a storm that swamped neighborhoods, triggered mudslides, threatened dams and left more than 4 million homes and businesses without power.

Helene hit Florida's Big Bend region as a powerful Category 4 hurricane packing 225 kph winds. It left behind a chaotic landscape of overturned boats in harbors, felled trees, submerged cars and flooded streets.

The city of Tampa posted on X that emergency personnel had completed 78 water rescues of residents and that many roads were impassable because of flooding. The Pasco County sheriff's office rescued more than 65 people overnight.

Officials had pleaded with residents in Helene's path to heed evacuation orders, describing the storm surge as "unsurvivable", though some had stayed put.