Tropical Storm Pamela forms off Mexico's Pacific coast

MEXICO

CITY - Tropical Storm

Pamela

formed off Mexico's Pacific coast Sunday and was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting shore somewhere near the port of Mazatlan at midweek.

The

US National Hurricane Center

said 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 had maximum winds of about 50 miles per hour (85 kph).

Pamela is forecast to take a turn toward the north and northeast, passing close to the southern 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.

The hurricane center warns of the possibility of life-threatening storm surge, flash floods and dangerous winds around the impact area later this week.