Fausto emerged from a tropical depression about 750 miles (1,200 kilometres) south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and was expected to undergo steady or rapid strengthening and become a hurricane by Monday night, the US National Hurricane Centre said.
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The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was moving to the west-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph). No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
Also in the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Elida was weakening Sunday and expected to become a remnant low within a couple of days. Elida was centred Sunday about 1,015 miles (1,635 kilometres) west of the southern Baja peninsula and had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).
Meanwhile, forecasters at the Miami-based hurricane centre said they were closely watching the evolution of a tropical depression fuelled by warm waters south-southeast of the Florida Panhandle.
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Forecasters said the depression was expected to strengthen into a tropical storm early in the week. A tropical storm watch was issued for parts of the Florida Panhandle to the Alabama border. The slow-moving storm is expected to move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days.
The system could bring heavy rainfall to coastal areas of northern Florida, Alabama and Louisiana as it eventually churns west toward Texas, the hurricane centre said.
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On Sunday afternoon, the depression was virtually stationary and located about 190 miles (310 kilometres) south-southeast of Panama City, Florida, with top sustained winds of 30 mph (45 kph).
