Hurricane Otis rapidly strengthens off Mexico's Pacific coast as it heads toward Acapulco

MEXICO CITY -- Hurricane Otis strengthened from tropical storm to a major hurricane in a matter of hours Tuesday as it approached Mexico’s southern Pacific coast where it was forecast to make landfall near the resort of Acapulco early Wednesday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said that Otis was about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south-southeast of Acapulco on Tuesday with Category 3 winds of 125 mph (205 kph). It was moving north-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph). The center said Otis would continue strengthening as it approached the coast.

There was a hurricane warning in effect from Punta Maldonado to Zihuatanejo.

Otis was expected to dump five to 10 inches of rain on the southern state of Guerrero with as much as 15 inches possible in some areas. That raised the possibility of mudslides in Guerrero’s steep mountainous terrain.

In the Atlantic, Hurricane Tammy continued moving northeastward over open water with winds of 75 mph (120 kph) after sweeping through the Lesser Antilles over the weekend. Tammy was located about 565 miles (910 kilometers) south-southeast of Bermuda. The storm was expected to weaken by Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

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