Hurricane Jimena Now a Major Hurricane in the Eastern Pacific

August 28,2015

Highlights

• Jimena strengthened into a hurricane early Friday and became a major hurricane late Friday night.
• Hurricane Jimena is located about 1,190 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.
• Intensification is likely to continue within the next 24 hours and Jimena could become a Category 4 hurricane sometime this weekend.
• For now, this system is no threat to land the next five days as it tracks westward behind Ignacio.
• It's far too early to know if this system may eventually become a threat to Hawaii. Check back for updates.

Current Status

Forecast Track

Hurricane Jimena became a major (Category 3) hurricane late Friday night with maximum sustained winds up to 125 mph. It continues to move through a highly favorable environment for tropical cyclones in the eastern Pacific. Although the system poses no threat to land over the next five days, it could remain a major hurricane into early next week.
(MAP: Follow Tropical Storm Jimena with our new Interactive Storm Tracker)
The sea-surface temperatures ahead of Jimena are very warm, ripe for tropical cyclone development. At the same time, the atmosphere is very moist and combine this factor with weak wind shear, and Jimena will continue to strengthen through this weekend.
Hurricane Jimena will continue tracking to the west along the southern edge of a subtropical ridge through Saturday and then a turn more toward the west-northwest is expected by Sunday. Gradual weakening is then expected early next week.
Jimena poses no threat for land for quite some time, however, we can't completely rule out an eventual run toward the Hawaiian Islands somewhere around the Labor Day holiday weekend.
(MORE: How Unusual Are Hurricanes in Hawaii?)
MORE: Hurricane Satellite Imagery