Tropical Storm Frank could become a hurricane Monday off Mexico's Pacific coastline, as the storm moves parallel to the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, forecasters said. "It is possible that Frank could reach hurricane strength by late Tuesday," dpa quoted the Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre as saying. Mexico's meteorological service said Frank could become a hurricane as early as Monday. In order for the storm to be upgraded to hurricane status, sustained winds must reach 119 kilometres per hour. The storm was located around 185 kilometres southeast of the beaches of Puerto Escondido, in Oaxaca, and 355 southeast of Acapulco, in Guerrero at mid-day Monday. It had sustained winds of 95 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 110 kilometres per hour. Frank was moving west at about 13 kilometres per hour, and although it was not expected to make landfall, Mexican authorities issued an alert given the risk of heavy rain.
