Tropical Storm Forms off Mexico's Pacific Coast

Tropical storm Odile formed on Wednesday off Mexico's Pacific Coast and is due to strengthen overnight as it moves towards the famous beach resort of Acapulco, which was hit hard by storms and record flooding last year.

On Wednesday morning, Odile was about 220 miles (350 km) south-south-west of the port of Lazaro Cardenas, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The major cargo hub of Lazaro Cardenas remained open.

Odile was moving at three miles per hour (5 km per hour) with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (65 kph), the NHC said.

The storm is forecast to strengthen in the next 48 hours, though the center will remain offshore of Mexico's southwest cost through early Friday.

(Reporting by Christine Murray; Editing by Simon Gardner and James Dalgleish)