A tropical storm in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is expected to become the first hurricane of the season by Friday.
Tropical Storm Celia on Wednesday evening was positioned off the southern coast of Mexico and slowly moving northwestward. The National Weather Service predicted that it will increase in strength until it becomes a full-blown hurricane on Friday.
The NWS predicts the storm will weaken back to a tropical storm by Sunday. Based on the storm’s rate of movement, it is not expected to pose danger to the Hawaiian Islands.
If the NWS forecast is correct, Celia will be the first Pacific hurricane of the 2022 hurricane season. Meteorologists have predicted that, because of ongoing La Nina climate conditions, the hurricane season this year will be mild.