Tropical Storm Celia, howling off Mexico’s Pacific coast, on cusp of hurricane strength

Tropical Storm Celia near cusp of hurricane force

MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Celia threatened to become a hurricane Sunday as it howled toward open seas, away from Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned the storm was expected to gradually strengthen and it already had maximum sustained winds of about 65 mph (100 kph).

Celia was centered about 345 miles (555 kilometers) south of Acapulco Sunday morning, the hurricane center said, and it was moving westward at about 7 mph (11 kph).

That course would take toward the open Pacific and forecasters said it posed no immediate threat to land.

Elsewhere Sunday, Tropical Storm Blas weakened far from land, with its maximum winds dropping to 45 mph (75 kph), down from about 60 mph (95 kph) Saturday night.

That storm was centered 430 miles (695 kilometers) south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and it was moving west-northwest at about 12 mph (19 kph). Forecasters said it could fade into a tropical depression by Monday.