Tropical Storm Lester off the northwest Mexican coast strengthened to hurricane status on Friday, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Lester, located some 550 miles (885 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, is packing winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, but is heading west into the Pacific and there are no coastal watches or warnings, the NHC said in its 0300 GMT bulletin.