Tropical Storm Kiko to strengthen back into hurricane in East Pacific

Kiko, one of three tropical storms in the East Pacific, strengthened today as it slowly meanders far from Hawaii.

As of 5 p.m. in Hawaii, Kiko had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, moving west-northwest at 6 mph, and was centered 1,265 miles west-southwest of Baja California and 1,805 miles southeast of Hilo. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 45 miles from the center, forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami projects Kiko, which was a Category 1 hurricane earlier this week, will regain it’s hurricane status by tomorrow as it moves closer to the Central Pacific.

By Sunday, Kiko is forecast to be moving southwest as a weakening Category 1 hurricane, still hundreds of miles southeast of the islands.

The hurricane center is also monitoring Lorena and Mario closer to Mexico. Lorena is expected to grow into a hurricane as it moves up the western coast of Mexico and toward Baja California, while Mario is projected to move northwest farther off the Mexican coast.

Lorena’s high surf, strong winds and heavy rains have placed a large swath of Mexico’s southwestern coast under tropical storm and hurricane warnings and advisories.

Closer to Hawaii, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu is monitoring three weather systems, all hundreds of miles southwest or southeast of Hawaii, with small chances of forming into tropical cyclones.