MEXICO CITY -- Tropical Storm Kay became a post-tropical cyclone Friday night after veering away from the U.S.-Mexico border region, though it continued to cause rain in parts of northwestern Mexico and the U.S. Southwest.

Kay came made landfall as a hurricane near Mexico's Bahia Asuncion in Baja California Sur state Thursday, but it quickly weakened into a tropical storm after moving back out over open and cooler water. It was forecast to weaken into a remnant low by Saturday morning as it moved farther from land.

On Friday night, it had maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h. It was centered about 230 kilometres southwest of San Diego, California, and was moving west-northwest at 13 km/h. The storm was expected to turn to the southwest and then the south in the next few days.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said that “flash, urban, and small stream flooding” was a threat across Southern California and southwestern Arizona.

The center said southernmost California could see five to 10 centimetres of rain, with isolated areas getting 15 to 20 centimetres. It said the Sierra Nevada, Arizona and Southern Nevada might receive 2.5 to five centimetres, with isolated spots at more than seven centimetres.

Meanwhile in the Atlantic, Hurricane Earl continued heading out into the open seas after passing southeast of Bermuda.

Late Friday, Earl was centred about 985 kilometres south-southwest of Cape Race, N.L. It had maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h and was moving northeast at 46 km/h.

Earl knocked out power to 1,500 customers as it brushed past Bermuda early Friday, downing several trees in the British territory. Crews had cleared roads by midday and worked to restore power to the few homes still in the dark.

Government agencies and public transportation operated as usual, with ferries scheduled to restart service Friday afternoon.