MIAMI — Tropical Storm Jose is expected to re-strengthen to a hurricane and produce high surfs and life-threatening rip current conditions along the U.S. East Coast as it moves up the Atlantic.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds early Friday are near 70 mph (110 kph) and it’s forecast to become a hurricane again later in the day.

Jose is centred about 360 miles (575 kilometres) northeast of the southeastern Bahamas and is moving west-northwest near 8 mph (13 kph).

Meanwhile, a new tropical depression has formed far out over the Atlantic and is expected to become a tropical storm. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the depression’s maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) and it’s forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm later in the day or on Saturday.

Credit: nhc.noaa.gov

Weakening Tropical Storm Max makes landfall

A weakening Tropical Storm Max dumped rain over southern Mexico after slamming into a sparsely populated stretch of Pacific coast as a Category 1 hurricane.

Near the resort city of Acapulco in Guerrero state, the government worked frantically to widen a channel to the sea to prevent a coastal lagoon from flooding. And Gov. Hector Astudillo warned that the rains would continue through the night, creating fears of flooding and landslides in Guerrero and Oaxaca states.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center had earlier issued a hurricane warning for the coastline between Zihuatanejo and Punta Maldonado.

Credit: nhc.noaa.gov

The centre said the rapidly weakening Max should become a tropical depression then dissipate by early Friday.

Max had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (70 kph) and was located about 95 miles (150 kilometres) east of Acapulco Thursday night. It was heading toward the east at 7 mph (11 kph), the hurricane centre reported.

Acapulco, about 30 miles (60 kilometres) from where the hurricane made landfall, was hit by strong winds and rain that blew down some branches on the city’s coastal boulevard.

Also Thursday, Tropical Storm Norma formed farther out to the west in the Pacific and was expected to strengthen and head toward the resort-studded Baja California Peninsula.

Norma was located about 360 miles (580 kilometres) south of the twin resorts of Los Cabos at the peninsula’s southern tip.

The storm had winds of 45 mph (75 kph) and was moving north at 6 mph (9 kph). On that track, Norma could be at hurricane strength near Los Cabos by Sunday or Monday.

Los Cabos was hit by Tropical Storm Lidia in early September, causing at least five deaths.