FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross and Meteorologist Ian Oliver discuss the traffic jam of tropical activity in the Pacific Ocean.
HONOLULU – Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli formed southeast of Hawaii in the Central Pacific Ocean on Monday after quickly strengthening.
Newsportual Hurricane Center (NHC) said Iona’s maximum sustained winds reached 75 mph, officially designating it as a hurricane.
Once a tropical storm’s winds reach 74 mph, it is called a hurricane and maintains the same name it had when it was a tropical storm.
Hurricane Iona is currently located more than 800 southeast of Honolulu.
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(FOX Weather)
According to the NHC, Iona is expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours before weakening by midweek.
It is the first hurricane in the Central Pacific Basin this season and the first July hurricane in the basin since Darby in 2022.
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(FOX Weather)
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The NHC said Hurricane Iona is expected to stay well south of the Hawaiian Islands.
Tropical Depression 2-C becomes Tropical Storm Keli
Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Two-C has strengthened into Tropical Storm Keli.
It is situated about 1,000 miles southeast of Hawaii and is following closely behind Iona.
(FOX Weather)
The forecast calls for Keli to maintain tropical storm strength through midweek before weakening to a depression.
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(FOX Weather)
Neither Iona nor Keli are expected to have any impacts on Hawaii.
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