El Niño puts Pacific in tropical overdrive with Simon expected to form this week
THE TAKEAWAY
The next tropical system is expected to develop in the Eastern Pacific, with Simon expected to form sometime midweek as the strengthening El Niño climate pattern supercharges the basin.
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According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the area of thunderstorms that are expected to become Simon is expected to develop just offshore of southern Mexico.
This would be the 21st named storm of the season in the Eastern and Central Pacific, and the basin is already well past the average number of storms even in an El Niño year (17).
Computer and AI forecast models expect future-Simon to eventually track into Mexico, potentially dumping significant rain on the country's western coast.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Rachel is churning into the open Pacific as a Category 1 storm. Rachel briefly became a Category 3 hurricane earlier this week, marking the eighth major hurricane this season in the Pacific.
The NHC said Rachel is located about 405 miles away from the tip of Baja California with wind gusts of 90 mph. The storm is moving west at 8 mph.
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Rachel is expected to stay out to sea but is still generating life-threatening surf and rip currents along the Baja California coast, the NHC said.
Depending on how long Rachel maintains its strength and structure over open water, the hurricane could send large swells toward Southern California beaches later this week, though the exact magnitude and timing of these waves remain uncertain, the FOX Forecast Center said.
And in the Western Pacific, Hurricane Nolo continues to pack a punch as the storm strengthens yet again, becoming a Category 3 storm.
Hurricane Nolo continues its long journey well west of Hawaii, crossing toward the International Date Line as a powerful cyclone over open water.
Nolo is the same storm that soaked Hawaii about a week and a half ago. The hurricane even caused Hawaii's iconic, centuries-old lava rock arch in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to collapse into the ocean.
The NHC said Hurricane Nolo is expected to continue strengthening over the next day or so before weakening around the middle of next week.
El Niño continues to strengthen and has supercharged tropical development across the Pacific, with a Super El Niño expected to be declared later this year.
Stay with FOX Weather for everything you need to know this hurricane season.
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