MIAMI (Florida) - FORECASTERS say Tropical Storm Andres has formed off the southwestern coast of Mexico, becoming the first named storm of the season in the Eastern Pacific.
The government of Mexico on Sunday night issued a tropical storm watch from Zihuatanejo northward to Manzanillo.
The National Hurricane Center says the center of the storm as of 11 pm EDT (0300 GMT) was about 325 km south of Zihuatanejo and 530 km south-southeast of Manzanillo.
The system had been a tropical depression earlier in the day.
Andres is moving slowly toward the west-northwest near 7 km/hour. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 km/hour with higher gusts. Forecasters say it is expected to strengthen.
The system could bring heavy rainfall to southwestern areas of Mexico over the next two days. -- AP
