Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain could fall across the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero, with lighter amounts in Chiapas, Michoacan, Colima and Jalisco states, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.

MIAMI (AP) — A hurricane warning was issued Tuesday for a portion of southern Mexico as Tropical Storm Erick gained strength in the Pacific Ocean, forecasters said.

MIAMI — Tropical Storm Erick formed early Tuesday near southern Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane by Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was about 450 miles southeast of Punta Maldonado, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, the center said.