Tropical Storm Odile in Pacific Threatens Mexico

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Tropical Storm Odile off the west coast of Mexico is forecast to become a hurricane tomorrow.

Odile, with top winds of 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour, was 210 miles southwest of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, moving west at 2 mph, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 2 a.m. Los Angeles time. The storm is forecast to strengthen in the next 48 hours.

A tropical storm watch has been declared for the Mexican coast from Lazaro Cardenas to Manzanillo, according to the advisory. “Interests elsewhere along the southwestern coast of Mexico should monitor the progress of Odile,” the hurricane center said.

Odile is the 15th storm of the eastern Pacific season, which has seen previous systems drench Mexico with flooding rains and strike Hawaii. The 1995-2013 average for the basin is 13 storms, according to the hurricane center.

Large swells that could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents are expected to begin striking along the coast tomorrow, the advisory said. Heavy rains will probably also soak the coast. Tropical-storm-strength winds reached out 70 miles from its core.

Portions of Mexico’s Pacific coast may receive 6 inches of rain, said Adam Douty, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. Those showers will also extend into Baja California, hit last week by Hurricane Norbert, if Odile’s track forecast bears out.

“Flooding is going to be a pretty major concern,” he said.

–With assistance from Ann Koh in Singapore and Rupert Rowling in London