ACAPULCO, Mexico — Tropical Storm Andres strengthened off the southwestern coast of Mexico today, prompting emergency preparations for a storm that forecasters said might become a hurricane in coming days.
It was too soon to tell if Andres’ center would make landfall, but forecasters said tropical storm force winds were likely to hit the coast within a day somewhere along the coast from Lazaro Cardenas to Manzanillo.
A hurricane watch was declared from Lazaro Cardenas to Cabo Corrientes, meaning hurricane conditions were possible within 36 hours.
The Acapulco city government prepared 120 shelters and warned residents to stay indoors, especially some 15,000 people in 20 zones most at risk for flooding. Heavy rains late Sunday downed a few trees in the resort city.
Late Sunday night, Andres became the first named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season, which began May 15 and ends November 30 and is typically busiest between July and September.
Andres was a late arrival. It’s been 40 years since it took so long in the Eastern Pacific season for a named storm to come along.
“Normally that season gets under way somewhat earlier,” said Richard Pasch, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. “But it’s not necessarily an indication that it’ll be a quiet year in that basin. We’ve seen some years starting late and become quite active. We’re just going to have to wait and see on that.”
Federal forecasters have predicted a near-normal or below-normal season, with the possibility for 13 to 18 named storms, including six to 10 hurricanes.
The National Hurricane Center said Andres’ center as of 8 a.m. PDT today was about 120 miles southwest of Zihuatanejo.
Andres was moving slowly toward the west-northwest near 5 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph with higher gusts.
The forecast track showed it scraping along the central Mexican coast on Tuesday before bending toward the west a little short of the Los Cabos resorts at the tip of the Baja California Peninsula Thursday night or Friday.
Forecasters said Andres could become a hurricane with sustained winds of at least 74 mph by Tuesday night.
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