Hurricane Ida weakens, heads toward U.S.

Hurricane Ida weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved across the Gulf of Mexico early Monday, forecasters said.
Its maximum sustained winds are 90 mph (145 kph), with higher gusts, the National Hurricane Center said.
Additional weakening is forecast for the next 24 hours, but Ida is still expected to be a hurricane when it approaches the Gulf Coast on Monday or early Tuesday, the center said.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Pascagoula, Mississippi, eastward to Indian Pass, Florida, forecasters said. The warning means hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours.
Measures to protect life and property should be undertaken, forecasters said.
Ida is moving toward the north-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph). It is expected to bring a total of 8 inches of rain across the central and eastern Gulf Coast.