Tropical Storm Hilda, the eighth named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed early Thursday far east of Hawaii. Forecasters expect the storm to be upgraded to a hurricane Friday. ADVERTISING Tropical Storm Hilda, the eighth named storm
Tropical Storm Hilda, the eighth named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed early Thursday far east of Hawaii. Forecasters expect the storm to be upgraded to a hurricane Friday.
Hilda, located about 1,495 miles east-southeast of Kailua-Kona, was circulating 60 mph winds and moving toward the west at 14 mph, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 60 miles from the center of the storm.
Steady strengthening is forecast as the storm moves through an environment of low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. Hilda is expected to be upgraded to a hurricane Friday. It should peak as a Category 1 storm packing 90 mph winds this weekend before starting to weaken.
Also being monitored in the Eastern Pacific Thursday was an area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms more than 1,000 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula associated with a broad area of low pressure. Environmental conditions are forecast to be conducive for gradual development, and this system could become a tropical depression by early next week while it moves generally northwestward at around 10 mph.
The Eastern Pacific hurricane season continues through Nov. 30.
Get more hurricane-related content, including preparation tips, evacuation info and daily tropical weather updates, on our hurricane season page, sponsored by Clark Realty, at www.westhawaiitoday.com/hurricane-season-2015.
