Tropical Storm Cristina forms off coast of Nicaragua, forecasters say

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Cristina formed Monday in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Nicaragua, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Cristina had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph). It was centered 105 miles (170 kilometers) west-northwest of Managua, Nicaragua, and about 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of San Salvador, El Salvador.

A tropical storm warning was in effect from Puerto Sandino to the Guatemala/El Salvador border.

Cristina was forecast to bring rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with maximum totals of about 12 inches (30 centimeters), across coastal Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala through Thursday.

Cristina was the second tropical storm affecting the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Boris was spinning off the coast of Mexico on Monday and was expected to make landfall there on Tuesday.