Erick, now a tropical storm, is forecast to become a powerful hurricane before making landfall southeast of Acapulco on Thursday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain.

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.

Erick was a tropical storm in the North Pacific Ocean Tuesday morning Mexico Central Time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. The tropical storm had sustained wind speeds of 45 miles per hour.