MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Hernan reached Category 3 strength far out to sea on Saturday, becoming the first major hurricane of the eastern North Pacific season.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hernan's winds had reached nearly 120 mph, but the systems was expected to begin weakening by Sunday.
The center says the fifth eastern Pacific hurricane of the season poses no threat to land. It is located far off Mexico's western coast, about 1,000 miles west-southwest of the tip of the Baja California peninsula.
It is expected to continue moving west-northwest and head further out to sea.
The hurricane center says Hernan is expected to begin weakening in the next 24 hours as it heads toward cooler Pacific waters.
Storms are classified as hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or more, and are rated on the five-category Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.
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