Hurricane Bud strengthens to category 3 off Mexico Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY, June 11 (Reuters) - Hurricane Bud strengthened to a category 3 storm on Monday about 265 miles off the Pacific coast of Mexico, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

With maximum sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, Bud was moving northwest at about 7 miles per hour, the center said. The heart of the storm is expected to remain considerably offshore.

While the storm may strengthen on Monday, it will likely begin weakening on Tuesday, the center said.

The storm is expected to generate 3 to 6 inches of rain in southwestern Mexico, the center said, warning of possible flash floods and mud slides.

(Reporting by Veronica Gomez; writing by Julia Love; Editing by Dan Grebler)