Hurricane Norman remains Category 2 in eastern Pacific

Hurricane Norman, a Category 2 storm in the Pacific, is expected to weakened by midweek. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

UPI

Hurricane Norman remained a Category 2 storm in the eastern Pacific Ocean and is expected to weaken by midweek, the National Hurricane Center said.

The eye of the storm was 1,210 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, the NHC said in its latest update at 2 a.m. PDT. The hurricane was moving west at 15 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extended 35 miles outward from the storm's center, and tropical storm winds extended outward up to 105 miles. Since it is currently nowhere near land, there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

A faster forward speed is expected for the next couple of days in a westward direction.

After crossing into the Central Pacific basin Tuesday, the hurricane is forecast to slow by midweek as it encounters cool sea surface temperatures and fairly dry air.