Pacific operates in overdrive as El Niño fuels continued surge in tropical activity
THE TAKEAWAY
The Pacific basin continues to operate in overdrive as several tropical systems churn at once, with Category 2 Hurricane Rachel becoming the 20th named storm of the Pacific hurricane season.
Hurricane Rachel is steadily increasing in strength, nearing Category 3 status as the system moves farther away from Mexico. Rachel briefly became a Category 3 hurricane earlier this week, marking the eighth major hurricane this season in the Pacific.
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The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Rachel is located about 340 miles away from the southern tip of Baja California with wind gusts of 105 mph. The storm is moving west-northwest at 6 mph.
Rachel is expected to stay out to sea as it takes a sharp turn away from the Mexican coastline, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Dangerous surf is impacting Baja California and will continue to do so over the next day, bringing life-threatening rip currents and powerful waves to the area, 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.
Behind Rachel is an area to watch, which was designated last week. Currently, that area has a high chance of development over the next seven days, as conditions are expected to become more favorable, the FOX Forecast Center said.
The area to watch — which is likely to become the Pacific's next named storm Simon — could dump inches of rain on the western coast of Mexico, including from Acapulco to Puerto Vallarta.
Also in the Pacific, Hurricane Nolo continues to pack a punch as the storm strengthens yet again, becoming a Category 3 storm.
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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 grip both the Pacific and Atlantic basins, and the Pacific is expected to see even more activity in the coming weeks.
Stay with FOX Weather for everything you need to know this hurricane season.
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