Tropical Storm Carlotta strengthens over Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Carlotta is growing stronger over the Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says it could become a hurricane by Thursday evening. The system’s top sustained winds have reached 60 mph, and it was moving northwest, with its center about 395 miles southwest of Manzanilla, Mexico. The center says ocean swells generated by Carlotta will affect the coasts of west-central mainland Mexico and the southern Baja California beginning later Thursday. Those swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the weekend.