Tropical storm strengthens near Carolinas

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Cristobal formed off the South Carolina coast Saturday, and further strengthening is likely, the National Hurricane Center said.


Satellite image taken at 1:15 p.m. Saturday shows Tropical Storm Cristobal off the coast of the Carolinas.

The center of the storm was expected to move along the South and North Carolina coasts on Saturday and Sunday, dumping up to 5 inches of rain, forecasters said.

A tropical storm warning -- meaning tropical storm conditions with maximum winds of 39 mph are expected within the next 24 hours -- was issued for an area from South Santee River, South Carolina, to the North Carolina-Virginia border.

As of 2 p.m. ET, Cristobal's center was about 100 miles (160 km) east of Charleston, South Carolina, and about 225 miles (365 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. It was moving northeast at near 7 mph.

more:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/07/19/tropical.weather/index.html

Hurricane Fausto Forms Off Mexico's Pacific Coast

http://wbztv.com/national/fausto.hurricane.season.2.774222.html

MEXICO CITY (AP) ―

Tropical Storm Fausto became a hurricane Friday far off Mexico's Pacific coast,
while two other tropical storms moved across open seas.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said none of the storms was expected to threaten land.

Hurricane Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm's center was about 445
miles southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving toward the northwest at 13 mph.
The path would take the storm out into the Pacific.

Much farther off the coast, Tropical Storm Elida continued to weaken, with maximum sustained
winds of 60 mph. The storm was expected to be a depression by Saturday.

And in the open Atlantic, Tropical Storm Bertha was strengthening with maximum sustained
winds of 65 mph. Forecasters said the storm would begin to weaken Saturday.