Sandra continues to weaken as it moves toward Mexican Pacific coast

Hurricane Sandra was continuing to weaken as it moved toward the Mexican Pacific coast and Baja California, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Thursday.

The storm, which was upgraded to a Category 4 on Thursday morning, was now a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (193 kph), the center said.

Mexico issued a tropical storm watch for the southern portion of the Baja California peninsula from Todos Santos to Los Barriles, the Miami-based center said.

Sandra was located about 420 miles (675 km) south of the southern tip of Baja California and some 575 miles (925 km) southwest of Culiacán, Mexico.