(releads, updates storm location, adds comment)

MEXICO CITY, July 13 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Elida moved farther away from Mexico's Pacific coast on Sunday afternoon but it could still become a hurricane later this week, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Earlier on Sunday, the Miami-based center had said Elida could become a hurricane on Monday morning.

The fifth tropical storm of the 2008 season was located 245 miles (395 km) south-southwest of the tourist city and port of Manzanillo and some 585 miles (945 km) south-southeast of the tip of the Baja California peninsula.

The storm's maximum sustained winds remained at 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. Elida was moving away from land in a west-northwest direction at about 14 mph (22 kph).

"Elida could still become a hurricane before it reaches cooler waters in a couple days," the NHC said.

Mexico's national weather service issued a heavy rain and high surf warning for the states of Jalisco, Colima and Michoacan and said the storm could pose a moderate risk to their coasts.

Skies were cloudy in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, among Mexico's top Pacific beach resorts, with waves of around 3 feet (1 metre), according to the government's latest port data. (Reporting by Cyntia Barrera Diaz; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

AlertNet news is provided by