Republished July 29, 2019 - 8:19 AM
Original Publication Date July 28, 2019 - 9:06 PM
MEXICO CITY - Two tropical storms were gaining force and pushing westward across the Pacific on Monday, at least one of them on a path likely to take it just south of the Hawaiian Islands at week's end.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Erick was about 1,310 miles (2,110 kilometres) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, early Monday. It had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was moving toward the west at 17 mph (28 kph).
The centre said Erick could grow into a major hurricane Tuesday but was expected to begin losing strength Wednesday and gradually weaken into a tropical storm before nearing Hawaii.
Father to the east, Tropical Storm Flossie formed, and it was following a roughly similar track, though a bit to the north.
It was centred about 780 miles (1,260 kilometres) south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula and was moving west at 18 mph (30 kph). The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph), though it too was projected to grow into a hurricane on Tuesday or Tuesday night.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019