Fernanda Intensifies to Hurricane, Hawai‘i Forecasters Monitoring Track
Forecasters are monitoring Hurricane Fernanda in the East Pacific for potential impacts as it tracks west towards Hawaiʻi. On Thursday afternoon, Fernanda was located about 900 miles SSW from the southern tip of Baja California.
Fernanda intensified to hurricane status as anticipated today and forecasters with the National Hurricane Center say it will likely become a major hurricane by Friday night.
At 2 p.m. PDT, Fernanda had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was moving west at 12 mph. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles.
It’s still far too early to say if the system will have an impact on the Hawaiian Islands.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Scale, a Tropical Storm has winds 39-73 mph; a Category 1 hurricane has winds 74-95 mph; a Category 2 has of winds 96-110 mph; a Category 3 hurricane has winds 111-130 mph; a Category 4 hurricane has winds 131-155 mph; and a Category 5 hurricane has winds 156 mph and up.
Earlier this summer, the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency increased its recommendation from 7 to 14 days worth of provisions in emergency kits based on the documented experience from other states and jurisdictions that have gone through similar disasters.
Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have forecast 5 to 8 tropical cyclones affecting the Central Pacific this hurricane season, which runs through the end of November.
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADEnhanced Recommendations for Hurricane Kits: 14 Days of Provisions
Tropical Storm Fernanda Advisory #008. 2 p.m. PDT Thu Jul 13, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Fernanda Advisory #007. 8 a.m. PDT Thu Jul 13, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Fernanda Advisory #008. 2 p.m. PDT Thu Jul 13, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Fernanda Advisory #007. 8 a.m. PDT Thu Jul 13, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center. Infrared Satellite imagery.
Tropical Storm Fernanda Advisory #007. 8 a.m. PDT Thu Jul 13, 2017. PC: NOAA/NWS/National Hurricane Center.
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