Tropical Storm Erick formed early Tuesday off the southern coast of Mexico and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami.
A hurricane watch is now in effect along Mexico’s Pacific coast from Bahia De Huatulco in Oaxaca state to Punta Maldonado, meaning hurricane conditions—sustained winds over 74 mph—are possible within 48 hours.
A tropical storm watch is also in place from Salina Cruz to Bahia De Huatulco.
According to NHC, Erick was located about 450 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and moving west-northeast at 12 mph.
Earlier Tuesday, the NHC issued a hurricane watch for parts of southern Mexico as the system, then a tropical depression, began gaining strength over the eastern Pacific.
The depression was upgraded and named Erick once its winds reached tropical storm strength.
Forecasters are warning of potentially heavy rainfall across parts of southern Mexico, including Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lighter precipitation expected in Chiapas, Tabasco, Veracruz, and parts of El Salvador and Guatemala.
Source: The Associated Press
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