Olaf strengthens in the Pacific between Mexico and Hawaii

Tropical storm Olaf is strengthening in the Pacific between Mexico and Hawaii and is likely to become a hurricane by Saturday night or Sunday, but is not expected to make landfall, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center said Olaf is forecast to become a major hurricane by Monday.

Olaf is located 1,600 miles (2,600 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Mexican state of Baja California. At 8 a.m. PDT (1600 BST) it had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km/h), the center said. It is moving to the west, and expected to turn in a northwest direction later in the weekend.

"There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect," the hurricane centre said in its latest public advisory on the storm.