Bud weakens to tropical storm

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MANZANILLO, Mexico, May 25 (UPI) -- Bud weakened from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm Friday off the Pacific coast of Mexico, meteorologists said.

At 5 p.m. PDT, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Bud was about 80 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and about 60 miles south-southeast of Cabo Corriente, Mexico, with top sustained winds of 70 mph. The storm was moving north at 7 mph.

The Mexican government downgraded a hurricane warning for the coast from Manzanillo to Cabo Corrientes to a tropical storm warning, and a tropical storm watch was posted for the coast of Mexico north of Cabo Corrientes to San Blas. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning from east of Manzanillo to Punta San Telmo have been discontinued.

On its forecast track, Bud is expected to be near or over the coast of Mexico in the tropical storm warning area Friday night and Saturday, before turning toward the southeast away from the coast Sunday, forecasters said. The storm is expected to weaken further during the next 48 hours.

Winds of 41 mph, with gusts of 55 mph, were reported Friday afternoon in Manzanillo, the National Hurricane Center reported.

Bud was likely to bring storm surges and 6-to-10 inches of rain along the southwestern coast, with 15 inches possible in isolated areas.