Vance becomes a hurricane as it churns off the coast of Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Vance has become a hurricane as it churns off the coast of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said early Friday.

At 0900 GMT, Vance was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph), and was about 440 miles (710 kilometers) south-southwest of Acapulco.

Vance is moving toward the north-northwest near 6 mph (9 kph), and this motion is expected to continue through the weekend.

The center said the storm is expected to strengthen rapidly and could be a major Category 3 hurricane before the end of the day.