Pacific Storms UPDATE

Tropical Storm Kiko is a strange one. Look at it’s potential path. It will strengthen into a hurricane and farther out projections now show it may turn northward to impact the Hawaiian Islands. Nobody really knows for sure at this time but stay informed and prepared. Also, there are a few other potential storms also forming in the Pacific as per image below. Hurricane season doesn’t end till end of November.

800 AM PDT Wed Sep 18 2019

Kiko appears to be stronger this morning with very deep convection
near the center, although the cloud pattern is somewhat distorted.
The initial wind speed is conservatively raised to 50 kt on this
advisory, since the subjective satellite estimates have been running
a little hot recently.

The storm continues to move west-southwest, or 245/05 kt. A track
resembling on roller coaster (which seems appropriate for the ups
and downs trying to forecast Kiko this past week) is anticipated
during the next several days due to fluctuations in the strength of
a mid-level ridge to the north. The guidance is actually in pretty
good agreement on this unusual track, so little change was made to
the previous NHC forecast.

Kiko is expected to remain in a low-shear and marginally warm-water
environment for the next few days. After that time, some dry air
entrainment and a possible increase in shear could level off the
intensity. The latest forecast is essentially an update of the
previous one, adjusted for the higher initial wind speed, but this
is a fairly low confidence forecast at long range due to some large
changes in the guidance at that time.

FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS

INIT 18/1500Z 16.0N 126.7W 50 KT 60 MPH
12H 19/0000Z 15.9N 127.5W 55 KT 65 MPH
24H 19/1200Z 15.8N 128.4W 55 KT 65 MPH
36H 20/0000Z 16.1N 129.2W 60 KT 70 MPH
48H 20/1200Z 16.6N 129.8W 65 KT 75 MPH
72H 21/1200Z 17.0N 131.2W 70 KT 80 MPH
96H 22/1200Z 16.0N 133.5W 70 KT 80 MPH
120H 23/1200Z 15.5N 136.5W 65 KT 75 MPH