Weakened Hurricane Bud to Hit Mexico

Storm expected to make landfall near Puerto Vallarta today

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted May 25, 2012 12:13 AM CDT
Updated May 25, 2012 5:00 AM CDT

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Hurricane Bud Builds Off Mexico — This image provided by NASA taken at 2 a.m. EDT Thursday May 24, 2012 shows Hurricane Bud. (AP Photo/NASA)

Residents of Mexico's central Pacific coast have been warned that this Bud's for them. Hurricane Bud, the first Pacific hurricane of the season, has weakened to a Category 2 storm and is headed in the direction of the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta, where swimming has temporarily been banned, reports the AP. It had measured as a Category 3, but its maximum sustained winds dipped early today to near 110mph; it is still forecast to reach Mexico's coast as a hurricane. On the Atlantic side, forecasters predict a normal hurricane season this year, with up to three major hurricanes. (Read more hurricanes stories.)