Tropical Storm Simon is forecast to strengthen, possibly reaching hurricane-strength on Saturday, as it churns in the Eastern Pacific, National Hurricane Center forecasters based in Miami said Thursday morning. ADVERTISING Tropical Storm Simon is forecast to strengthen, possibly reaching hurricane-strength
Tropical Storm Simon is forecast to strengthen, possibly reaching hurricane-strength on Saturday, as it churns in the Eastern Pacific, National Hurricane Center forecasters based in Miami said Thursday morning.
Simon, which formed as a tropical depression on Wednesday, is packing maximum sustained winds around 40 mph and traveling toward the north-northwest around 10 mph. Simon is forecast to strengthen during the next 48 hours and will likely be upgraded to a hurricane on Saturday. The storm is currently located about 190 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.
National Hurricane Center officials in May predicted 14 to 20 named storms and seven to 11 hurricanes — including three to six major hurricanes — to form this year in the Eastern Pacific Basin. Overall, they gave the 2014 season a 50 percent chance of being above normal, 40 percent chance of being near-normal and a 10 percent chance of being below normal.
The Eastern Pacific averages 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes each year, according to the center.
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season began May 15 and ends Nov. 30.
