MEXICO — Hurricane Bud has reached Category 3 force off Mexico’s Pacific coast, but forecasters say it’s likely to weaken before a possible brush with the resort-dotted southern tip of the Baja California peninsula late in the week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Bud has maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph). It’s centered about 235 miles (380 kilometers) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and is moving northwest at 10 mph (17 kph).

Forecasters say Bud is expected to strengthen further before a slow weakening trend starts Tuesday. </s> MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Bud strengthened in the Pacific Ocean west of Mexico on Sunday even as former Hurricane Aletta was fading. Neither immediately threatened land, though Bud was expected to kick up high surf along the Mexican coast and potentially could reach the Los Cabos resort region by Thursday or Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) Sunday evening. It was centered about 235 miles (380 kilometers) south of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph).

Forecasters said Bud likely would strengthen rapidly for a day or so, but then begin to weaken late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

The Hurricane Center said the storm could generate swells that cause life-threatening surf and rip currents over the coming days along Mexico's southwestern coast.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Aletta's winds were down to 45 mph (75 kph). It peaked on Friday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph (220 kph). It was about 575 miles (925 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> MEXICO CITY - Hurricane Bud grew to Category 3 force off Mexico's Pacific coast on Monday, but forecasters said it was likely to weaken before a possible brush with the resort-dotted southern tip of the Baja California peninsula late in the week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph Monday morning. It was centered about 235 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving northwest at 10 mph.

Forecasters said Bud was expected to strengthen further before a slow weakening trend starts Tuesday.

"Significantly cooler waters around the southern tip of Baja California should reduce Bud's intensity below hurricane status before it reaches that land," the center said.

The Hurricane Center said the storm could generate swells that cause life-threatening surf and rip currents over the coming days along Mexico's southwestern coast. Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated patches of 10 inches, was possible into Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Aletta's winds were down to 40 mph and it was predicted to dissipate by late Monday or early Tuesday. The storm peaked on Friday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph. It was about 600 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. </s> MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud has been losing intensity in the Pacific Ocean about 300 miles (483 km) off the coast of Mexico’s Cabo San Lucas on Tuesday, and should be no more than a tropical storm by the time it hits land, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

With maximum sustained winds of about 90 miles per hour (145 km per hour), Bud was downgraded to a Category 1 storm. It was churning slowly towards the beach resorts of Los Cabos on the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, the Miami-based NHC said.

The center said “additional weakening is forecast, and Bud is expected to become a tropical storm on Wednesday.”

The storm is expected to reach the peninsula by late Thursday, the NHC said. Bud is still likely to be a tropical storm when it nears Baja California Sur, it added.

No coastal warnings were in effect.

The hurricane was moving towards the northwest at about 3 mph (5 kph).

Through Thursday, the storm is expected to cause rainfall of 2 inches to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) across much of southwestern Mexico, with up to 6 inches in some areas.

The heavy rain could cause deadly flash floods and mudslides, the NHC added. </s> MEXICO CITY — Hurricane Bud made a brief run as a powerful Category 4 storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast, but quickly faded into a much weaker hurricane still on a path expected to take it close to the resort towns on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula later in the week.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud’s maximum sustained winds had lessened to 90 mph (150 kph) by late Tuesday, dropping it to Category 1 strength. Earlier in the day, it had nudged across the 130 mph (210 kph) threshold for a Category 4 hurricane.

Bud was centred about 300 miles (485 kilometres) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula’s southern tip and was moving northwest at about 3 mph (6 kph).

“Further weakening, possibly rapid at times, is expected during the next 48 hours, and Bud is forecast to weaken below hurricane intensity by Wednesday night,” the hurricane centre said.

Forecasters said Bud would approach Baja California Sur on Thursday. The twin resort cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are popular destinations for international and domestic travellers, receiving millions of tourists annually.

The centre said the hurricane could cause dangerous surf along Mexico’s nearby coasts for the next several days. Heavy rainfall also was predicted for southwestern and western Mexico as well as the southern Baja peninsula. </s> Hurricane Bud weakened rapidly off Mexico's Pacific coast on Tuesday on its way towards the resorts at the southern end of the Baja California Peninsula.

The US National Hurricane Center said Bud has now been downgraded to a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 130km per hour. It is currently located about 460km to the south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas at the peninsula's southern tip.

Earlier it had just barely crossed the threshold of wind strength to be classified as a Category 4 storm.

Bud is moving northwest at about 6 kph and is forecast to approach Baja California Sur late on Thursday evening as a tropical storm.

"Further weakening, possibly rapid at times, is expected during the next 48 hours, and Bud is forecast to weaken below hurricane intensity by Wednesday night," the center said.

The center said the hurricane still could generate dangerous surf and rip currents over the coming hours, with heavy swells already reaching the peninsula.

Bud is expected to produce 50 to 75mm of rainfall across much of southwestern Mexico through Thursday. Totals could be twice that in one or two places.

These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

Bud is also expected to produce as much as 125mm of rain across southern parts of Baja California Sur and Sonora in northwestern Mexico between now and Saturday.

The twin resort cities of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo are popular destinations for international and domestic travellers, receiving millions of tourists every year. </s> MEXICO CITY (AP) — Newly formed Hurricane Bud swirled off Mexico’s southwestern coast heading for a possible brush with the southern end of the Baja California peninsula by Thursday or Friday, while former Hurricane Aletta headed out to sea as a tropical storm.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Bud had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph late Sunday. It was centered about 210 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving northwest at 10 mph.

Forecasters said Bud was expected to strengthen rapidly over the next 24 hours, but then begin to slowly weaken late Monday or early Tuesday.

The Hurricane Center said the storm could generate swells that cause life-threatening surf and rip currents over the coming days along Mexico’s southwestern coast. Rainfall of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated patches of 10 inches, was possible into Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Aletta’s winds were down to 45 mph and it was predicted to dissipate by late Monday or early Tuesday. The storm peaked on Friday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 mph. It was about 585 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.
Hurricane Bud grows into a category four hurricane with winds of 130 miles per hour (210 km/h) off of the Pacific Coast of Mexico.