Celia now a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 135 mph as it swirls over open Pacific waters

Celia now a Category 4 hurricane over open Pacific

MIAMI — Hurricane Celia has been upgraded to a Category 4 storm, but it’s swirling far out over the Pacific Ocean and doesn’t immediately threaten land.

The U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami says Celia was packing winds at 135 mph (215 kph) as it churned up seas Thursday afternoon about 765 miles (1,230 km) off the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. Celia was moving farther out to sea to the west at about 12 mph (19 kph).

Meanwhile, Hurricane Darby was still swirling off Mexico’s coast and also didn’t immediately threaten land. The Category 1 storm was packing winds of about 80 mph (130 kph). It was moving to the west-northwest at about 8 mph (13 kph).

Forecasters said Darby could take a sudden eastward turn early next week toward Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, but warned that prediction was tentative.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Darby formed in the Pacific off Mexico’s southwest coast Thursday, while Hurricane Celia strengthened farther out at sea.

Neither hurricane posed an immediate threat to land.

Darby, a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph (120 kph), was located about 235 miles (375 kilometers) south-southwest of Puerto Escondido on Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

It was expected to strengthen over the next two days as it heads west-northwest, well away from land.

The hurricane center projected the storm could take a sudden eastward turn early next week, putting it on a path toward Mexico’s southern Pacific coast.

That prediction is tentative and depends on a tropical wave of pressure forming in the western Caribbean, said John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist at the center. Otherwise, Darby could continue on its northwestern path out to sea.

“It’s a low-confidence forecast at this point,” Cangialosi said. “It’s not going to have great impact on land over next few days so there is certainly time to watch it.”

Meanwhile, Celia became a Category 3 hurricane as it headed west across the open Pacific. Its maximum sustained winds increased to 115 mph (185 kph).