Tropical Storm Gil expected to become a hurricane in eastern Pacific but won't threaten land

MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Gil was expected to become a hurricane in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday but wasn’t expected to threaten land, forecasters said.

The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm is about 870 miles southwest of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.

Gil had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect. The storm is expected to keep traveling to the west-northwest in the coming days, as well as speed up as it crosses over the ocean.

Gil was strengthening during a busy period for storms in the eastern Pacific.

Tropical Storm Iona is churning westward in the ocean, about 1,190 miles west-southwest of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was earlier a hurricane but has since weakened. It isn’t threatening land.

And other storms could develop in the coming days in the eastern Pacific, forecasters said.