Tropical Storm Carlos getting stronger in Pacific

Tropical Storm Carlos is getting stronger as it swirls far off Mexico's Pacific coast.

Photo: Tropical Storm Carlos getting stronger in Pacific

The storm's maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph and the National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm is expected to become a hurricane later on Saturday.

As of 5 a.m. EDT Saturday, Carlos was centered about 955 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula . The storms is moving west near 13 mph on a path taking it farther out to sea, The Associated Press reports.

The extended forecast charts a path for Carlos that has it approaching just south of the Hawaiian islands perhaps mid to late next week. This is subject to some change as upper level wind patterns may begin shearing apart the storm and/or nudging its path northward as the storm begins to encounter cooler sea surface temperatures. This will rob the storm of its warm-core low pressure "fuel".

Its still far too early to say if Carlos will pose any real threat to Hawaii by late next week but that being said, folks with travel plans to the Hawaiian Islands over the next week or so will probably want to keep an eye on Carlos until a clearer picture of its long term forecast becomes available, informs Examiner .