A tropical storm formed off Mexico's west coast Saturday and forecasters said it could turn into a hurricane and hit Mexican land within a few days, AP reported. Tropical Storm Paul was located over the Pacific Ocean about 315 miles (500 kilometers) south-southwest of the coastal city of Cabo Corrientes, said Lixion Avila, a meteorologist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm, which had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), could intensify into a hurricane within three days, Avila said. Paul was moving north-northwest at 10 mph (16 kph) but it was predicted to gradually shift to the north-northeast, passing by the tip of the Baja California peninsula and hitting mainland Mexico around the state of Sinaloa early in the week. Mexico was hit by two Pacific hurricanes last month. Hurricane John battered a remote section of Baja California, killing five people and destroying 160 homes, while Hurricane Lane struck the Sinaloan resort town of Mazatlan, causing relatively minor damage.
