All eyes are on a strengthening Tropical Storm Otis spinning off the southern coast of Mexico after what was once Hurricane Norma made a second landfall several hundred miles to the northwest on Monday morning before dissipating.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says heavy rain from Tropical Storm Otis will begin to impact southwestern Mexico early this week, bringing the risk of flash flooding and mudslides in the higher terrain.
As of the latest advisory from the NHC, Tropical Storm Otis is located about 375 miles south-southeast of Acapulco, Mexico, and has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph with some higher gusts.
The NHC says gradual strengthening is expected over the next few days, but Otis should remain below hurricane strength as it nears the coast.
The NHC says Otis will continue on a north-northwest motion over the next few days.
On that current forecast track, the center of the tropical storm will reach the southern coast of Mexico by early Wednesday.
Because of the threat of tropical-storm-force winds (39-plus mph), the government of Mexico has issued a Tropical Storm Watch from Lagunas de Cachahua to Tecpan de Galeana.
A Tropical Storm Watch means winds between 39 and 73 mph are possible in the watch area within 48 hours.