MIAMI _ Hurricane Otto, unseasonably late, formed off the coast of Central America on Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center warned that the Category 1 hurricane's 75 mph winds could strengthen before it strikes on Thursday near the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The storm was expected to cross the countries and emerge as a weaker tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean on Friday. There was no threat to the United States.
The biggest threat to the region was rain, which could trigger flash floods and mud slides. Otto was expected to produce from 6 to 12 inches of rain across southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica, with isolated amounts of 15 to 20 inches.
