Hurricane Dora forms off Mexico's Pacific coast

Tropical Storm Dora strengthened into the eastern Pacific's fourth hurricane of the season late Tuesday, pounding Mexico's south coast with dangerous surf and triggering storm alerts in resort areas, officials said.

Dora, about 390 kilometers (240 miles) south of the resort city of Acapulco, was packing sustained winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and was expected to strengthen in coming hours, possibly becoming a major hurricane by Thursday, Mexican and US weather services said.

Mexico's National Weather Service issued tropical storm watches for the southern coast, warned that large waves were pounding the states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, and advised vessels in the vicinity to take precautions against high seas and heavy winds.

In the coming days, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, Dora would track to the northwest paralleling the Mexican coast, and some NHC forecast models put the hurricane on track to affect the Baja California resort of Cabo San Lucas.

"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Dora could become a major hurricane by Thursday," the NHC said in a bulletin.

The 2011 season's first named storm, Arlene, left at least 16 people dead in Mexico after it drenched much of the country with heavy rains and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

Mexico was struck last year by what the government described as the wettest rainy season on record.

Tropical storms and hurricanes caused flooding and mudslides that killed 125 people, left hundreds of thousands homeless, and caused damage of more than $4 billion (14.69bn).

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