Hurricane Iona, Tropical Storm Keli
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Forecasters are now tracking two named tropical cyclones in the Central Pacific, as a newly-formed tropical depression has already strengthened into Tropical Storm Keli, while Iona could strengthen into a major hurricane.
In the Pacific, forecasters are watching five systems, including Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli. Iona has strengthened into a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph about 790 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Wind shear (red - strong shear; green - low shear). Shear is typically strong to start the hurricane season:
Hurricane Iona, now a Category 3 storm, poses no threat to Hawaii as it travels west through the central Pacific. The storm, located over 1,200 kilometers from Honolulu, is the season's first named hurricane in the region.