Tropical Storm Hilary forms off Mexico's southern Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Hilary formed Wednesday far off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast, but it is expected to strengthen and move north towards the Baja California peninsula later this week.

Hilary had winds of 40 mph (65 kph) Wednesday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Hilary was located about 370 miles (590 kilometers) south-southeast of the port city of Manzanillo, far from land.

The storm was moving west-northwest at 15 mph (24 kph). But it was expected to make a turn northward later in the week and strengthen into a hurricane before possibly brushing the northern part of the Baja peninsula, near the U.S. border, as a tropical storm.

The Hurricane Center said that “Hilary has the potential to bring impacts to the Baja California Peninsula and portions of the southwestern United States this weekend.”

Two other tropical storms, Fernanda and Greg, were far out to sea in the Pacific.