Tropical Storm Carlotta strengthens over Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Carlotta is growing stronger over the Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico and could become a hurricane by Thursday evening, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Thursday morning that Carlotta’s maximum sustained winds had grown to 60 mph (95 kph). The system was centered about 345 miles (630 kilometers) southwest of Manzanilla, Mexico, moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

Swells generated by the storm will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the weekend along Mexico’s west-central mainland coast and the southern Baja California peninsula, the hurricane center warned.