Raymond grows into hurricane off Mexican coast

MIAMI, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Tropical storm Raymond gained hurricane strength Sunday in the Pacific Ocean off Acapulco, Mexico, U.S. forecasters said.

In its 5 p.m. PDT update, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Raymond was about 155 miles west-southwest of Acapulco and about 135 miles south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm was moving north-northwest at 6 mph.

The Mexican government posted a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch from Acapulco to Lazaro Cardenas. Some additional strengthening is likely Sunday night and Monday.

Raymond is expected to turn north and lose some forward speed Sunday night and early Monday, and then "begin to meander" Tuesday.

On its forecast track, Raymond is likely to come near the coast of Mexico within the hurricane watch area late Monday or Tuesday.

The hurricane center said people on the south-central coast of Mexico should monitor the storm.

Raymond is expected to generate 2 to 4 inches of rain, with as much as 8 inches in some places across the Mexican state of Guerrero, with 1- to 3 inches across the bordering states of Oaxaca and Michoacan.