Tropical Storm Pamela forms off Mexico’s Pacific coast

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Pamela has formed off Mexico’s Pacific coast and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting shore somewhere near the port of Mazatlan at midweek. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Pamela’s center was about 505 miles (810 kilometers) south of Mazatlan late Sunday, and was moving west-northwest at about 12 miles per hour (19 kph). The storm has maximum winds of about 50 miles per hour (85 kph). Pamela is expected to take a turn toward the north and northeast, passing close to the tip of the Baja California peninsula late Tuesday or early Wednesday at hurricane strength. Pamela is then expected to cross over northern Mexico and could approach the Texas border as a depression by Thursday.