Tropical Storm Rachel, located some 465 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, is expected to strengthen, National Hurricane Center forecasters in Miami said Friday. ADVERTISING Tropical Storm Rachel, located some 465 miles southwest of the
Tropical Storm Rachel, located some 465 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, is expected to strengthen, National Hurricane Center forecasters in Miami said Friday.
Rachel, as of 11 a.m. Hawaii time on Friday, was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph with higher gusts, forecasters said. It is moving toward the west-northwest around 12 mph.
Some strengthening is expected during the coming 48 hours. Rachel is forecast to attain a maximum sustained wind speed of 65 mph before the storm begins to weaken. Tropical Storm Rachel is expected to be downgraded to a remnant low early next week.
Tropical storm force winds currently extend outward from the center of Rachel up to 60 miles.
Forecasters are also keeping an eye on an area of low pressure that could develop this weekend or early next
week south of the coast of southeastern Mexico. Environmental conditions appear conducive for some development while the system moves west-northwestward. The center gave the system a zero percent of forming into a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours and a 30 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within five days.
