Tropical Storm Cosme formed over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Baja California on Sunday afternoon.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Cosme was located at latitude 13.3°N and longitude 111.0°W which put the center about 665 miles (1075 km) south of the southern tip of Baja California.  Cosme was moving toward the northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 999 mb.

A low pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean south of Baja California strengthened on Sunday afternoon and the U.S. National Hurricane Center designated the system as Tropical Storm Cosme.  More thunderstorms formed near the center of Tropical Storm Cosme.  Thunderstorms also developed in bands in the southern and western parts of Cosme’s circulation.  Bands in the eastern and northern parts of Tropical Storm Cosme consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storms near the center of Cosme generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the west of the tropical storm.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Cosme was relatively small. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Cosme’s circulation.

Tropical Storm Cosme will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Cosme will move over water where where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C.  It will move under the southern side of an upper level ridge over Mexico and the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Cosme’s circulation.  Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear.  The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the wind shear will not be strong enough to prevent Cosme from intensifying.  Tropical Storm Cosme will intensify during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Cosme will move around the western part of a high pressure system over Mexico.  The high pressure system will steer Cosme toward the northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Cosme will remain far to the south of Baja California.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Barbara strengthened southwest of Mexico.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Barbara was located at latitude 16.0°N and longitude 104.1°W which put the center about 205 miles (325 km) southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.  Barbara was moving toward the west-northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 996 mb.

Tropical Storm Cosme and Tropical Storm Barbara will move close enough to each other during the next few days that their two circulations are likely to interact.