Tropical Storm Gil continues to intensify in the Pacific Ocean and is poised to escalate to hurricane status soon, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)‘s 5 AM Hawaiian Standard Time (HST) advisory issued on Friday.
Located approximately 920 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Gil is moving west-northwest with maximum sustained winds near 65 mph and higher gusts.
When Will Storm Gil Become a Hurricane?
Forecasters predict that Tropical Storm Gil will strengthen into a hurricane on Friday, with gradual weakening anticipated over the weekend. No specific landfall is currently forecast, as its projected path suggests it will remain over open water. However, the NHC notes that the storm’s center may stray outside the projected cone up to 33 percent of the time.
Tropical Storm Iona Also Being Tracked
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Iona, positioned about 1,295 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, maintains winds near 40 mph with higher gusts. Iona is also tracking west-northwest but at a slowing pace.
The NHC expects little change in Iona’s strength through Saturday, followed by gradual weakening beginning Sunday. No landfall is currently anticipated.
Three Additional Systems Under NHC Surveillance
The NHC is also monitoring three other tropical systems:
- A trough about 650 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with a 10% chance of formation
- A low-pressure area southwest of Mexico with an 80% chance of becoming a tropical depression later this weekend or early next week
- A potential system off Central America and southern Mexico mid-next week, with a 20% chance of development
Currently, no coastal watches or warnings are in effect for any of the storms.
Hawaii Emergency Management Monitoring Situation
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency hosted a statewide conference call on Monday with all counties. During the meeting, the National Weather Service provided a detailed storm assessment.
“All counties are monitoring,” agency spokesperson Kiele Amundson said in an email.
Swells Possible but Not Significant, Say Forecasters
Though some swells may result from the active systems, impacts are expected to be minimal.
“People might wrongly attribute the swell energy to be from these tropical systems, but they’re actually not,” said Derek Wroe with the weather service in Honolulu.
“Another indirect impact from the weather systems could be swells, but they are relatively small and moving westward and won’t create anything significant,” he added.
