Tropical storm Dora strengthening in the Pacific
While homeowners insurance providers prepare for an expected busy Atlantic hurricane season, forecasters are tracking a strengthening tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean.
A report from the National Hurricane Center at the National Weather Service said Tropical Storm Dora was near hurricane strength as of Tuesday. The storm remained several hundred miles off of Western Mexico, with maximum sustained winds recorded at nearly 70 miles per hour. The agency said the storm could become a major hurricane by late Wednesday, though early projections were not clear on whether the storm would hit the coast. The NHC report said the storm would likely cause "life-threatening swells and rip currents."
The Mexican Weather Service posted weather warnings for a handful of coastal states, saying residents might experience heavy rains, strong winds and flooding. The storm would likely lose much of its strength by Thursday afternoon, said NHC.
Dora would be the second tropical storm to affect Mexico so far this season. Tropical storm Arlene was the season's first Atlantic storm and killed more than 20 people along the eastern Mexico coast. The U.S. has avoided any major summer storms so far this year.
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