Aug 9, 2007 12:35 am US/Eastern
Tropical Storm Forms Between Hawaii And Mexico
MEXICO CITY (AP) ―
Tropical Storm Flossie formed on Wednesday far out in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Mexico's southern Pacific coast and Hawaii.
The storm's wind speeds were about 39 mph, and Flossie was expected to strengthen slightly in coming days before moving over cooler waters and weakening, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.
The storm was located far from land and was moving rapidly west at about 13 mph.
Forecasters predicted that Flossie would remain a tropical storm, and that its wind speeds could peak around 66 mph, short of hurricane strength.
The storm's rapid forward movement and expected shift toward a more northwesterly track could bring it closer to Hawaii by early next week.
However, if the storm moves further north, it would encounter cooler waters and weaken. Tropical storms derive much of their force from the energy contained in warm waters.
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