The increase in intensity could turn Tropical Storm Blas into a Category 1 hurricane by noon on Wednesday, June 15, according to the National Weather Service forecast. The cyclone will cause heavy rains in the central and southern states of the country, being torrential in Guerrero and Michoacán, and intense in Jalisco, Colima, and Oaxaca.
Blas is located about 265 km south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and 460 km south-southeast of Manzanillo, Colima. The storm maintains a path parallel to the Mexican coast towards the north-northwest over the Pacific Ocean at a speed of approximately 9 km per hour.
The storm is not expected to make landfall in Mexico and will begin to move away from the coast as it strengthens.
Blas is moving toward the north-northwest near 6 mph (9 km/h). A turn toward the northwest is expected this morning, with a west-northwestward motion expected late today or tonight. Blas is expected to continue moving west-northwestward through Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center.
Swells generated by Blas are expected to reach the coast of southwestern Mexico later this morning. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Please consult reports from your local weather office.
Mexico will register minimum temperatures of up to -0º C in Chihuahua, Durango, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla and Tlaxcala. In contrast, the maximum could exceed 45º C in Baja California and Sonora, and 40° C in Sinaloa, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Nayarit, Campeche and Yucatán will be above 35°C.
