Hurricane Darby still Category 3 storm in the Pacific; Celia continues to weaken

Hurricane Darby still major storm; Celia weaker

MIAMI — Hurricane Darby is still Category 3 strength, making it the second major hurricane of the eastern Pacific season.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Darby’s maximum sustained winds Friday night were near 115 mph (185 kph).

The hurricane is located about 265 miles (425 kilometers) southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. It’s heading west-northwest near 6 mph (9 kph).

Meanwhile, Hurricane Celia has weakened to a Category 3 storm farther out in the Pacific. Celia’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 120 mph (195 kph).

Neither hurricane poses an immediate threat to land.

A tropical depression, the first one in the Atlantic this hurricane season, has not gained strength.

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

MIAMI (AP) — The first tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season formed Friday in the Western Caribbean, but forecasters can’t yet say if it will pass over the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Friday the depression has winds of about 35 mph (55 kph). Most storm prediction models show it traveling over the Yucatan Peninsula over the weekend and into the southern Gulf by Monday, hurricane center specialist Michael Brennan said.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, which separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico.

It’s too early to tell if the storm will hit the northeastern part of the Gulf, where the spill has spread over the past 10 weeks, Brennan said. Somewhere between 69 million and 132 million gallons of crude have spewed into the water since the rig Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

The storm raises concerns over what might happen to efforts to contain the oil if BP is forced to abandon the area for a while. An armada of ships is working in the Gulf.

A cap has been placed over the blown-out undersea well and it is carrying some of the oil to a surface ship where it is being collected. Some of the oil is being brought to the surface and burned. Other ships are drilling two relief wells, projected to be done by August, and are the best hope to stop the leak.

Some models have the storm heading toward the spill, but others do not, and forecasters can’t speculate about what rough weather would do to oil in the water, Brennan said.

The depression is on track to reach the peninsula by late Saturday. It is about 345 miles (555 km) east-southeast of Chemtumal.

Meanwhile in the Pacific, two major hurricanes are swirling but don’t pose an immediate threat to land. Darby is a Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph (195 kph).

The hurricane is located about 250 miles (405 kilometers) south-southwest of Acapulco, Mexico. It’s heading west-northwest near 6 mph (9 kph).

Hurricane Celia has weakened a bit but is still a Category 4 storm farther out in the Pacific. Celia’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 135 mph (215 kph). The hurricane center says Celia is approaching cooler waters and is expected to continue weakening.