Hurricane Bud weakens rapidly off Mexico's Pacific coast: NHC

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud was losing power fast in the Pacific Ocean more than 200 miles (322 km) off the coast of Mexico 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 some 115 miles per hour (185 km per hour), the Category 3 storm was churning slowly toward the beach resorts of Los Cabos on the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula, the Miami-based NHC said. The center said Bud was "weakening rapidly" and should fall below hurricane strength by Wednesday night. The storm is expected to reach the peninsula by late Thursday or early Friday, the NHC said. Bud will still likely be a tropical storm when it nears Baja California Sur, it added. No coastal warnings were in effect. By Tuesday afternoon, Bud was moving toward the northwest at around 3 mph (5 kph) and was around 310 miles (499 km) south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas. Through Thursday, the storm is expected to dump rainfall of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 cm) across much of southwestern Mexico, with up to 10 inches in some areas. The heavy rain could cause deadly flash floods and mudslides, the NHC said. (Writing by Dave Graham; editing by Bernadette Baum and Lisa Shumaker)