Hurricane Fausto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm over the Pacific Ocean, with forecasters warning that the system could bring wind and rainfall impacts to Hawaii as it moves closer to the islands next week.
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The NHC has not issued a direct land warning for Hawaii at this stage but has advised residents and visitors to continue monitoring updates as the storm approaches.
Beyond Hawaii, Fausto could also affect parts of Southern California. The hurricane center warned that swells generated by the storm may create dangerous surf conditions and life-threatening rip currents along portions of the coastline.
Another tropical system in the Pacific, located about 600 miles (965 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, was also being monitored. The system had the potential to develop into a tropical storm and possibly strengthen further, though it was not currently threatening land.
While Fausto continues to move across the Pacific, another storm system, Tropical Storm Bertha, has dissipated after bringing heavy surf and flooding concerns to parts of the Gulf Coast.
Bertha made two landfalls, affecting southern Louisiana and Texas before weakening on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center said the system had dissipated by late Thursday, though its remnants continued to pose a flash flood risk in parts of coastal and southern Texas.
The storm was expected to produce rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches, with isolated areas receiving up to 4 inches. Officials also warned that elevated water levels could continue because of storm surge.
Bertha first moved through southern Louisiana before making a second landfall about 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas. The storm was later downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression.
Meanwhile, the storm’s cloud cover also affected SpaceX’s plans for a Starship test flight from southern Texas. The launch was postponed because of weather conditions and later rescheduled.
Details
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Friday that the possibility of impacts in Hawaii is increasing, although it is still too early to determine the storm’s exact track or the severity of conditions it could bring.
“Interests in the Hawaiian Islands should monitor the progress of Fausto,” the hurricane center said in an advisory.
As of Friday, Hurricane Fausto was far from any major landmass.
The storm was located about 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometers) west of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and around 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) east of Hilo, Hawaii, according to the NHC.
Fausto was producing maximum sustained winds of around 105 mph (169 kph), making it a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Forecasters said the storm is expected to gradually weaken over the coming days, but officials are continuing to track its movement because of the potential for impacts in Hawaii.
No deaths or major damage were reported from Bertha, although coastal flooding occurred during its initial impact in Louisiana.
