2 tropical storms form in Eastern Pacific

Two tropical storms developed on Sunday in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, with one system forecast to briefly reach hurricane strength before weakening later this week.

Tropical Storm Barbara, located about 295 miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, was producing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) as of the 3 p.m. CST advisory. The system is moving west-northwest at 10 mph and is forecast to strengthen overnight, likely becoming a hurricane by early Monday.

Barbara is not expected to impact the southwestern coast of Mexico directly, but forecasters are monitoring a possible future interaction with nearby Tropical Storm Cosme, which formed later in the day.

Cosme, located farther west in the Pacific, is also strengthening and could briefly reach near hurricane status in the next 24 to 36 hours. As of 2 p.m. MST, it had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was moving northwest at 8 mph. Both systems are expected to weaken mid-week as they move into cooler waters and drier air.

No coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect for either storm, and both systems are forecast to become post-tropical lows within the next four to five days.

Forecasters note there is some uncertainty in the long-term track of both storms due to potential interaction between the two tropical storms, which could cause shifts in movement or intensity.