Hilary grows into major hurricane in Pacific off Mexico and could bring heavy rain to US Southwest

Hurricane Hilary has strengthened into a major storm off Mexico’s Pacific coast, and it could bring heavy rain to the southwestern U.S. by the weekend. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hilary had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph early Thursday evening, making it a Category 3 hurricane. It is expected to grow into a Category 4 hurricane Friday while on on a projected path that threatens landfall on the central Baja California peninsula by Sunday or possibly keep just offshore and head for Southern California. The hurricane center says there is a chance Hilary could still be a tropical storm or tropical depression by the time it reaches the U.S. No tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California since Sept. 25, 1939, according to the National Weather Service.