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.

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.

Tropical Storm in the Pacific is expected to become a hurricane - The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Erick has formed in the Pacific Ocean near southern Mexico