MEXICO CITY, June 29 (Reuters) - Storm Beatriz formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on Thursday and will likely strengthen into a hurricane by Friday, prompting the government to issue warnings for popular beach resorts as it heads near shore, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm is expected to "move very near or along the coast of southwestern Mexico" and is moving west-northwest near 12 mph (19 km/h),the U.S.-based NHC said late Thursday. "Beatriz is likely to become a hurricane on Friday," the NHC said. A tropical storm warning is also in effect from Punta Maldonado in the southwestern state of Guerrero, home to tourist hotspot Acapulco, to Zihuatanejo, another popular beach town in the state. Swells were also forecast along Mexico's southwestern coast, likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

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Persons: Storm Beatriz, Beatriz, Cassandra Garrison, Isabel Woodford, Mark Porter, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: MEXICO CITY, National Hurricane Center, NHC, Punta Maldonado, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, U.S, Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, Punta, Guerrero, Acapulco, Oaxaca