The second tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season formed off southern Mexico on Tuesday, though forecasters said it was unlikely to threaten land.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Blas could reach hurricane strength by Wednesday before losing force while moving westward into the open ocean.
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) at midafternoon Tuesday and it was centered about 325 miles (525 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico. Blas was moving north at 5 mph (7 kph).
The hurricane center said the storm . . .
