Tropical Storm Carlotta strengthens over Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico

MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Carlotta is growing stronger over the Pacific Ocean as it moves away from Mexico. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says it could become a hurricane by Thursday night or Friday. The system’s top sustained winds have reached 65 mph, and it was moving west-northwest, with its center about 510 miles west of Manzanilla, Mexico. The center says ocean swells generated by Carlotta will affect the coasts of west-central mainland Mexico and the southern Baja California beginning later Thursday. Those swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions through the weekend.