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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Hurricane Kristy has rapidly intensified into a major hurricane, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned on Wednesday morning.
Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical storm strengthens dramatically in little time. Hurricane Kristy became a tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean offshore of southern Mexico on Monday. As of Wednesday morning, its track was taking it away from land. It has maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane.
"Kristy Rapidly Intensifies Into a Major Hurricane," the NHC Eastern Pacific posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday morning. "Additional Strengthening is Expected."
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The most recent forecast found Kristy to be moving west at a speed of about 20 mph.
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"This general motion is expected to continue through Thursday. A gradual turn toward the west-northwest and northwest is expected on Friday and into the weekend," the report said. "Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 125 mph (205 km/h) with higher gusts. Kristy is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional steady to rapid strengthening is expected during the next day or so. Gradual weakening is forecast to begin on Friday."
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Hurricane-force winds extend up to 15 miles from the storm's center. Tropical storm-force winds are felt up to 80 miles from the storm's center.
Hurricane Kristy's path is taking it away from direct landfall, but life-threatening rip currents could be felt in Baja California later this week. Newsweek reached out to the NHC by email for comment.
Hurricane Kristy is the 11th named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season. The season differs from the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30 and includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
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The eastern Pacific hurricane season runs slightly longer, beginning two weeks earlier on May 15 and running through November 30.
"The eastern Pacific basin extends from Mexico and Central America westward to 140°W. Based on a 30-year climate period from 1991 to 2020, an average eastern Pacific hurricane season has 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes, and 4 major hurricanes," the NHC said in a webpage. "The first named storm typically forms in early to mid-June, the first hurricane tends to form in late June, and the first major hurricane forms in mid-July."
This year, the first hurricane in the eastern Pacific was Carlotta, which formed in early August. It was preceded by two tropical storms.
Meanwhile, the NHC said tropical cyclone activity is not expected in the Atlantic for at least the next seven days. However, AccuWeather meteorologists are eyeing an area for potential development in the western Caribbean. Should a storm form, it will likely occur between October 29 and November 2. Its track will likely remain away from the U.S.
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