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Hurricane season continues with 2 more growing storms

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
Tropical Storm Karina's five-day projected track as of Wednesday

The busy Pacific hurricane season continues this week with a new storm forming off Mexico, heading west, and another storm system closer to Hawaii with the potential to grow into a tropical cyclone, forecasters said Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday morning that Tropical Storm Karina, 400 miles south of Baja California, should grow into a hurricane by Friday as it heads west. The storm’s five-day track has it remaining at hurricane strength early next week as it heads closer to the Central Pacific. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph as of Wednesday morning.

Closer to the Central Pacific, the National Hurricane Center also issued an advisory Wednesday on a weather system about 1,300 miles east-southeast of the Big Island, which forecasters say has a 70 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone within the next five days.

“Shower and thunderstorm activity has also become a little better organized, and environmental conditions are expected to become more conducive for development over the next several days when the system enters the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s area of responsibility,” the advisory said.

The activity follows Tropical Storm Iselle’s direct hit of on Hawaii Island late last week and Hurricane Julio’s pass north of the islands earlier this week. Julio remained a Category 1 hurricane early Wednesday, about 625 miles north of Honolulu, heading northwest at 8 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Earlier this year, some scientists warned of a busier-than-usual hurricane season with the development of El Nino conditions, the warming of Pacific waters near the equator.

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