Major Hurricane Odile expected to affect southern Baja California

At 14:00hr PDT the center of the eye of major Hurricane Odile was located by an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft about 225 km - 140 mi SSE of the southern tip of Baja California. Odile is moving toward the north-northwest near 24 km/h - 15 mph and this general motion is expected during the next day or two. On the forecast track the core of Odile will pass near or over the southern portion of Baja California Sur tonight and Monday. Reports from the reconnaissance aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are near 205 km/h - 125 mph with higher gusts. Odile is a strong category three hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. Some slight strengthening is possible overnight and Odile could become a category four hurricane again before it approaches southern Baja California sur. Gradual weakening is forecast to begin by Monday night and continue into Tuesday. Odile is a large hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 85 km - 50 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 295 km - 185 miles.