Iona strengthens to a Category 3 hurricane in the central Pacific off Hawaii
HAWAII, JUL 29 – Tropical Depression One-C is forecast to strengthen into a tropical storm while remaining over 800 miles southeast of Hawaii with no expected direct impact, forecasters said.
- On Tuesday, Hurricane Iona intensified into a major Category 3 storm in the central Pacific, located several hundred miles to the south-southeast of Hawaii.
- The storm formed from a tropical depression on Sunday about 960 miles southeast of Honolulu and gained tropical storm status with winds near 40 mph before rapidly intensifying.
- Iona is moving westward at about 10 mph over warm waters and expected to strengthen further Tuesday before weakening around midweek, though it poses no direct threat to Hawaii.
- The Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds near Iona at 115 mph and forecast additional strengthening on Tuesday with steady weakening starting Wednesday.
- Iona’s indirect effects could create dry, breezy conditions akin to those during Hurricane Dora in 2023 that contributed to Lahaina’s deadly wildfire, which killed 102 people and worsened Maui’s housing shortage.
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HONOLULU, Hawaii, USA — Iona strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane several hundred miles south-southeast of Hawaii, but poses no threat to the islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tuesday.
Tuesday tropical update, new named storms in the Central Pacific
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — While the Atlantic is quiet... the Pacific is staying very active with two named storms and five total disturbances. Hurricane Iona, located in the Central Pacific, is currently moving west at 13mph with sustained winds of 115mph. Iona is strengthening into a major category three hurricane sitting far south-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. The NHC is expecting the storm to weaken to a tropical storm by 8PM on Thursday and …
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