4 hurricanes swirling, killer weather on tap

This was the first recorded occurrence of three Category 4 hurricanes in the central and eastern Pacific at the same time. However, by Sunday afternoon, both Kilo and Ignacio weakened and were classified as Category 3 hurricanes, while Jimena maintained its Category 4 status. Winds dropped from 130 miles per hour to 115 miles per hour and the hurricane was anticipated to turn into a tropical storm by Tuesday, stated Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the middle.

With strong El Nino conditions helping to lob a succession of hurricanes in our direction, the central Pacific may well be on its way to a record-setting year.

This satellite image shows the three Category 4 hurricanes in the Pacific Sunday morning (Kilo – left, Ignacio – center, Jimena – right).

Ignacio is about 700 km east of Honolulu and producing maximum sustained winds of 169 km/h with stronger gusts.

Of what could be considered back-burner concern may be Hurricane Kilo, well to the west of the Hawaiian islands.

And although none of them have made landfall, they’re making part of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii resemble a Van Gogh painting.

Swells generated by Ignacio will increase along east and southeast facing shores of the Island of Maui and will result in surf heights reaching up to 12 to 20 feet on Monday through Tuesday. It is now a Category 4 system (on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale) with sustained winds of 210 to 220km/h.

The skies were clear and seas relatively calm Monday on Hawaii’s Big Island as Hurricane Ignacio rapidly weakened and moved farther from the state. It is expected to pass north of Hawaii in the coming week, but forecasters warn that there is still uncertainty about the storm’s path.

The tropical storm watch for Hawaii Island and Maui County has been discontinued. Although a direct hit is not expected, Ignacio is expected to bring gusty winds, heavy rain, risky surf and rip currents to the islands, as early as Sunday.

The storm, which caused the first hurricane warning to be issued in Cape Verde since 1892, hit with 85mph winds and dumped 10 inches of rain over the collection of 10 volcanic islands. On the other hand, Hurricane Kilo will also remain one of the major hurricanes during the week; however, it is safely located in the open water.