Blanca weakens as it approaches Mexico

(June 7, 2015) – As of the 5 p.m. EDT advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Blanca is no longer a hurricane but rather a tropical storm packing 70 mph winds (tropical cyclones are considered hurricanes when wind speeds reach 74 mph or greater).

Blanca will continue to track toward Mexico’s Baja California peninsula Sunday evening into early Monday. The center of circulation will track well west of Los Cabos, however gusty winds to tropical-storm force (39-73 mph) and heavy rainfall are still expected there.

When Blanca rapidly morphed into a major hurricane off the Mexican Pacific Coast, reaching Category 4 status on June 3, it made Blanca the earliest-in-season second major hurricane – Category 3 or stronger – of record in the eastern Pacific basin dating to 1971.