MEXICO CITY, July 19 (Reuters) - Hurricane Dora formed off of Mexico&${esc.hash}39;s Pacific coast on Tuesday, dumping heavy rains on southern Mexican states and Central America without making a direct hit on land.
Dora, the fourth named storm of the Pacific hurricane season, packed winds of 75 mph (120 kph) south of the resort town of Acapulco and Mexico&${esc.hash}39;s Lazaro Cardenas port, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
Mexico has no major oil installations on its Pacific coast but sugar and coffee growing cropland could be soaked by the storm. Dora was churning north at 17 mph (28 kph) and is set to brush the tip of the Baja California peninsula by Saturday.
"This general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days with some decrease in forward speed," the Florida-based center said. "The center of Dora should move nearly parallel to the coast of southwestern Mexico during the next couple of days."
Tropical storm conditions along the coast could cause life-threatening waves and rip tides, the hurricane center said, but all of Mexico&${esc.hash}39;s Pacific ports remained open for navigation as of Tuesday afternoon. (Reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Cyntia Barrera; Editing by Todd Eastham)
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