Authorities in Mexico's Baja California closed ports and beaches on Tuesday as Hurricane Genevieve barrelled towards the peninsula packing winds of nearly 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour.

At 0300 GMT Genevieve, a Category 3 hurricane, was located some 390 kilometers south of the southern tip of Baja California moving towards the northwest at around 17 kilometers per hour, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center reported.

The storm -- which had weakened from a stronger Category 4 hurricane -- was packing maximum sustained winds of nearly 195 kilometers per hour, with higher gusts.

On the forecast track, the center of Genevieve is expected to move just southwest of the tip of peninsula overnight Wednesday to Thursday, and then away into the Pacific on Friday, the NHC said.

"Little change in strength is expected during the next day or so, followed by weakening on Thursday and Friday," the NHC said.

The port and beaches of the resort city of Cabo San Lucas, one of Mexico's top tourist attractions, were closed ahead of the hurricane, local officials said.

Ports in five states affected by the storm along Mexico's Pacific coastline, including in the state of Sinaloa, were also closed.

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