Tropical Storm Pilar pelts Mexico coast near Puerto Vallarta

MEXICO CITY — Tropical Storm Pilar pelted the coast of western Mexico with heavy rains and winds Sunday as it moved through the Pacific just west of the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Pilar had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph) in late afternoon and its center was about 30 miles (45 kilometers) north-northwest of Cabo Corrientes, the tip of land at one end of the bay where Puerto Vallarta sits. The storm was moving north at about 8 mph (13 kph).

The storm was projected to closely hug the coast for the next few days and lose strength. Tropical storm force winds extended out as far as 80 miles (120 kilometers) in some directions.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Pilar was likely to bring 3 to 7 inches (7.5 to 17.5 centimeters) of rain to the coastal region.

Meanwhile, two hurricanes were lurking in the Atlantic without posing an immediate major threat to land.

Hurricane Maria, which walloped Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane last week, was a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph). It was expected to bring heavy surf and swells to the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic coasts.

It was centered about 425 miles (685 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Farther out at sea, Hurricane Lee had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (150 kph). It was about 890 miles (1,430 kilometers) east of Bermuda and was moving to the southeast at 3 mph (6 kph). It was projected to move in a rough circle over the coming days.