Fausto becomes the season's first hurricane as Elida brings rip currents to California
Hurricane Fausto is strengthening in the Eastern Pacific and has become the first hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere this season, while Elida became post-tropical, but not before bringing life-threatening rip currents to Southern California.
Hurricane Fausto is strengthening in the Eastern Pacific and has become the first hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere this season, while Elida became post-tropical, but not before bringing life-threatening rip currents to Southern California.
The active start to the Eastern Pacific hurricane season is in keeping with the strengthening El Niño climate pattern, which historically enhances tropical activity in the basin.
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Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring an area several hundred miles south of Mexico for potential tropical development. The NHC is giving this area a medium chance of development over the next seven days.
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Hurricane Fausto strengthened into the basin's first hurricane on Monday night, according to the NHC.
Fausto is roughly 785 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, with wind speeds of 75 mph.
Once a tropical storm’s winds reach 74 mph, it is called a hurricane and maintains the same name it had when it was a tropical storm.
Fausto — which is a category 1 hurricane — is expected to move into a more favorable environment for tropical development, where it could continue to strengthen through midweek before it encounters more hostile conditions and gradually weakens.
It is expected to track northwest over the next several days in the general direction of Hawaii, which it could approach in eight to 10 days.
Meanwhile, Elida became post-tropical Monday morning as it moved north over cooler waters, roughly parallel to Baja California.
However, the NHC warned that the system will still generate life-threatening rip currents for parts of Southern California during the next several days.
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The FOX Forecast Center said the storm's remnants could also bring rain to parts of Southern California as well.
"So far, the basin has produced six named storms: Amanda, Boris, Cristina, Douglas, Elida and now Fausto," the Forecast Center said.
"All storms formed ahead of their average climatological formation dates."
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