'Devastating': Hurricane Odile Looking to Batter Baja California

from nbc


A powerful Category 3 hurricane is expected to batter the southern tip of Baja California late Sunday night. Guy Walton, a meteorologist with the Weather Channel, told NBC News that the storm, Odile, could bring winds stronger than 100 mph to the resort city of Cabo San Lucas. “This would be pretty devastating,” Walton said.

VICTOR R. CAIVANO / AP

Waves hit the cost of Los Cabos, Mexico, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014. Hurricane Odile turned into a Category 4 hurricane and it's expected to make a close brush with the southern portion of Mexico's Baja California peninsula Sunday evening.

Beginning as a Category 2 hurricane, with winds up to 110 mph on Saturday night, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Odile had winds speeds upwards of 135 mph as of Sunday afternoon.

Hurricane Odile is expected to dump 5-10 inches of rain on Mexico and Southern California. "Life threatening" flash floods and mudslides are possible in areas of heavy rainfall, the Weather Channel reported. Odile will move northwest to the southern and central Baja peninsula from Sunday night through Tuesday with damaging hurricane-force winds.

Odile should begin to weaken later Monday as it picks up more stable air and cooler water, according to the National Hurricane Center.

NOAA VIA AP

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows category four Hurricane Odile taken at 5:45 a.m. EDT Sunday Sept. 14, 2014.