Hurricane Fausto has strengthened into a Category 2 storm and is expected to approach the Hawaiian Islands next week.
Hurricane Fausto has intensified into a Category 2 storm in the Pacific Ocean, with forecasters predicting it will approach the Hawaiian Islands next week. The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that while the risk of wind and rainfall impacts is increasing, the exact location and magnitude of the storm remain to be determined. The storm currently sits approximately 1,400 miles west of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula and 1,500 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii. It is producing maximum sustained winds of around 105 mph. While the hurricane is still far from land, the center warned that generated swells could create life-threatening surf and rip tides in parts of southern California. Meteorologists expect the storm to weaken gradually over the coming days. Meanwhile, a separate tropical depression south of Mexico shows potential to become a hurricane, though it currently poses no threat to land. Additionally, Tropical Storm Bertha has dissipated after bringing heavy surf and flooding to southern Louisiana and Texas.