Hurricane Flossie grows to Category 3 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY AP Hurricane Flossie strengthened to a Category cyclone late Tuesday while remaining off the Pacific coast of Mexico Flossie had maximum sustained winds of kph mph and was moving west-northwest at about mph kph the U S National Hurricane Center in Miami noted Its higher wind speeds made Flossie a major hurricane which are classified as Category or above with winds of at least mph kph Flossie was about miles kilometers south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas Mexico It was expected to continue a west-northwest to northwest motion with several further strengthening Wednesday before rapidly weakening While that path kept the storm s center offshore Flossie s outer bands were bringing heavy rain to coastal portions of Michoac n Colima and Jalisco states Mexico s leadership mentioned Wednesday it had discontinued an earlier tropical storm Punta San Telmo to Playa Perula More rain could fall in the affected areas into Wednesday