MIAMI — Tropical Storm Simon is expected to become a hurricane as it swirls in the Pacific off the coast of Mexico.
The storm’s maximum sustained winds early Friday are near 50 mph (85 kph). Additional strengthening is forecast and the U.S. National Hurricane Center says Simon could become a hurricane by Saturday morning.
Simon is centered about 325 miles (520 kilometers) south-southeast of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and is moving west near 7 mph (11 kph).
Simon is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches through Friday night in western Mexico and is also generating swells on the coast that could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
