Hurricane Bud churns toward mainland
Photo by Ed Kociela
By Ed Kociela
The first hurricane of the season is chugging towards the southwestern Mexican coast.
Hurricane Bud is now classified as a major hurricane after building intensity for several days off the coast of Mexico, about 170 miles southwest of Manzanillo, which is about 200 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. Los Cabos is not expected to be affected by the storm.
However, the National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for the coast of Mexico from Manzanillo northwestward to Cabo Corrientes.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to nearly 115 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane-force winds are extending as far as 35 miles from the center of the storm, with tropical-force winds reaching as far as 115 miles.
Initial winds are expected to reach land overnight, with the full force of the storm set to make landfall Friday afternoon.
Residents along the southwestern coast of Mexico can expect from 5 to 8 inches of rainfall, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 12 inches, which could result in flash flooding.
Bud is expected to cause a dangerous storm surge with significant coastal flooding and swells that are likely to cause life-threatening surf and riptide conditions.
Ed Kociela is a writer for Los Cabos Magazine. You can reach him by email at edkociela.mx@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/EdKociela.