HOUSTON – So are Iselle and Julio. Iselle was a major hurricane this morning moving westward across the eastern Pacific, a little more than halfway between Mexico and Hawaii.
Maximum winds were estimated to be 125 mph.
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Iselle is forecast to maintain a westward motion and reach Hawaii on Thursday. It is forecast to weaken considerably before reaching the Big Island but still too early to say with confidence how strong it will be or what impacts are likely to occur.
About 2 to 3 days behind Iselle we now have Julio. Julio became a tropical storm overnight and is moving westward essentially the same as Iselle. It is forecast to slowly intensify and become a hurricane late in the day Tuesday. Julio is expect to continue moving westward and be just east of Hawaii as Iselle is exiting the island to the west.
While we do not give specific forecasts beyond 5 days due to lack of skill, our forecast models show Julio crossing Hawaii on Sunday and Monday.
Having two tropical storms cross Hawaii in such close proximity is a rare event. Because of the mountainous terrain in the islands, highly variable impacts are common when they have a tropical storm. Just like here, flooding is the big concern.
If you plan to be in Hawaii later this week, I suggest you monitor the forecasts and be prepared for some interesting but possibly adverse weather.
Meanwhile, Bertha is slowly becoming better organized as it moves northward away from the Bahamas.
It is currently forecast to pose no threat to land.