Tropical Storm Bud to hit Baja Peninsula

Tropical Storm watches are in effect for southern Baja California as ‘Bud’ is rapidly weakening.

Bud became the second Category 4 hurricane of the new season in the eastern Pacific Ocean Tuesday. But the storm has lost much of its steam as it enters cooler waters.

But, the Weather Channel reports that tropical force winds could hit the lower Baja Peninsula, including Los Cabos, when it makes landfall on Thursday.

As of Wednesday morning, Bud was 270 miles south-southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico moving north-northwestward.

The National Hurricane Center forecasts that Bud’s center will approach Los Cabos on the southern edge of Baja on Thursday afternoon or evening. Forecasters expect it will have weakened by to low-end tropical storm with periods of rain and gusty winds. A tropical storm is characterized by sustained winds of 39-73 mph.

Bud is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 2-4 inches, with some areas of southwest Mexico receiving up to 6 inches. Baja California and northwest Mexico are expected to get 1 to 3 inches of rain through Saturday.

While the storm is expected to weaken quickly, forecasters expect it could generate up to 2 inches of precipitation across southern Arizona by the end of this week.