Hurricane Trudy strengthens to a Category 3 storm off Mexico's Pacific coast

Miami: Hurricane Trudy strengthened to a major hurricane early Friday off Mexico's Pacific coast.

The Category 3 hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 195 kph (120 mph) and was moving northwest at 9 kph (6 mph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

It was about 420 kilometers (260 miles) southwest of Acapulco and about 590 kilometers (365 miles) south-southeast of Manzanillo.


Trudy was forecast to get stronger over the next couple of days. The eye was forecast to approach the coast of southwestern and west-central Mexico on Saturday.

To the northwest of Trudy, Tropical Storm Simon had 75 kph (45 mph winds) and was forecast to weaken to a remnant low soon.

Also in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Champi was east of Guam on Friday, moving west-northwest at 12 mph (19 kph) with maximum sustained winds increasing to 52 mph (86 kph), according to the U.S. Weather Service and the U.S. Navy's Meteorology and Oceanography Command website.

A typhoon warning has been issued for Guam and Rota along with a tropical storm warning for Tinian, Saipan and nearby areas.