Tropical Storm Erick Is Now a Hurricane — and Getting Stronger
Tropical Storm Erick — making its way over the eastern Pacific Ocean — evolved into a hurricane Monday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm is expected to travel westward, just south of Hawaii’s big island, though the hurricane is not expected to hit land.
Parts of Hawaii may see increased wind gusts and rainfall Thursday evening when Erick is anticipated south of the islands, and the conditions could continue through Friday. However, the National Hurricane Center reports that by Thursday, the hurricane will widdle down to a Tropical Storm once again.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, Alex Sosnowski, and CNN Meteorologist, Haley Brink, have both reported that the hurricane could potentially reach wind speeds of 110 to 111 mph — qualifying it as a Category 3 storm — a major hurricane. As of 11 p.m. HST (5 a.m. EST) Monday night, the storm reached wind speeds of 80 mph.
Sea waters may reach heights anywhere between 7 and 13 feet through Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service Marine Forecast.
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According to AccuWeather, Erick grew after hitting warm water and “weak wind shear” in the eastern Pacific, which are two factors that help strengthen tropical storms.
Tropical Storm Flossie closely follows Erick, though it is located further east in the Pacific.
The now-tropical storm is also expected to strengthen over the next few days and is said to become a hurricane on Tuesday and potentially a major hurricane later this week. The Weather Channel reports that it could pass near Hawaii as well but it is too early to tell.
