3 storms moving in Pacific

HILO — Three named storms are lurking in the Eastern Pacific.

Kiko has weakened from a Category 2 hurricane into a tropical storm, but it is expected to restrengthen into a hurricane, perhaps twice, by Sunday.

In addition, two tropical storms — Mario and Lorena — have formed closer to Mexico, with Mario forecast to become a hurricane.

“Kiko has apparently continued to strengthen,” the National Weather Service reported Wednesday.

“At least slow additional strengthening is possible during the next few days. Wind shear that previously affected the cyclone seems to have decreased, and Kiko is far enough south that it should remain over fairly warm waters for the next couple of days.”

Wednesday afternoon, Kiko was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, and moving west-southwest at about 7 mph. It was 1,235 miles west-southwest of Baja California and 1,835 miles southeast of Hilo.

Kiko, which has taken twists and turns over the past several days, is expected to take a westward turn and a west-northwestward motion today into Friday. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is anticipated for the next day or so, but after that time Kiko could gradually restrengthen into a hurricane by Friday.

Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the center.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Mario was south of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. Maximum sustained winds were 65 mph, and the storm was moving northwest at 10 mph.

According to forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Tropical Storm Mario’s general path is anticipated to remain stable for the next couple of days, with a turn to the west-northwest forecast on Friday. Gradual strengthening is forecast, and Mario could become a hurricane by Friday as it moves toward Hawaii.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center.

Hurricane Lorena is churning off the southern coast of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, but the forecast track is expected to take it up the southwest coast of Mexico.

“The track and intensity of Mario will depend largely on what happens with Lorena. If Lorena moves inland and weakens, Mario will likely be located within a very favorable environment for intensification,” according to the NWS. “However, if Lorena stays offshore and strengthens, it will likely continue to negatively affect Mario for the next several days.”

Meanwhile, closer to home, forecasters at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center are tracking three disturbances that have not organized into tropical cyclones.

One, described as “an elongated area of low pressure,” was about 700 miles southeast of the Big Island.

According to forecasters, the chance of the disturbance organizing into a tropical cyclone in the next five days was forecast as low, about 20%.

“Slow development is possible during the next several days while the area slowly moves westward, though the environmental conditions are only marginally favorable,” the forecast stated.

There are two other areas of low pressure, one about 450 miles southwest of Honolulu, the other about 950 miles west-southwest of Kauai.

Forecasters say the one closer to Honolulu has about a 50% chance of formation into a tropical cyclone.

The one closer to Kauai, according to forecasters, is less likely to organize into a tropical cyclone.

Neither system is expected to affect weather in populated areas of the state. Both, however, are expected “to bring locally gusty winds and heavy rain to portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument over the next several days,” forecasters wrote.