Tropical Storm Blas expected to become hurricane in Pacific
Published:Wednesday | June 15, 2022 | 10:07 AM
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Blas, the second named storm of the eastern Pacific season, was forecast to become a hurricane Wednesday off southern Mexico, though it wasn't expected to pose a threat to land.
The US National Hurricane Center said that after reaching hurricane force, Blas would likely begin weakening later in the week as it moves out into the open ocean.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour on Wednesday morning.
It was centred about 285 miles south-southeast of the Mexican port of Manzanillo and was moving north at six miles per hour.
The hurricane center said that even though the storm wasn't forecast to make landfall, it could still cause dangerous surf conditions along the coast.
The Pacific season's first named storm, Hurricane Agatha, came ashore near Puerto Angel in Oaxaca state on May 30 with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour.
Authorities said flooding and mudslides caused by Agatha's heavy rains killed at least nine people, with five others missing and suspected to be dead.
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