Felicia is now a hurricane, but it is moving away from the Mexican Pacific coast

Tropical Storm Felicia strengthened into a hurricane over the eastern North Pacific Ocean early Thursday.

At 2 a.m. PT, the center of the Category 1 storm was positioned about 730 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.

Now, Hurricane Felicia is moving westward around 12 mph with maximum sustained winds up to 85 mph with higher gusts, according to the NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center. 

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles.

Wow. #Felicia is already stronger than Hurricane #Elsa’s peak intensity. Elsa peaked at 991 mb, this is 986 at the same wind speed, 85 MPH. No offense, Elsa, but much more favorable environment. pic.twitter.com/PUqSxn8JUS

— Sammy Maggio | #WeatherReady (@SammyMaggio) July 15, 2021

By Friday, a gradual turn to the west-southwest is expected with this motion expected to continue over the next two days. 

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

However, Hurricane Felicia was expected to intensify over the next day.

Tropical Storm Felicia formed Wednesday far off of Mexico’s Pacific coast.

The hurricane is the sixth named storm of the 2021 eastern Pacific Hurricane Season.

NOAA said in May that a near- or below-normal season was most likely, with a 70% chance of five to 10 hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes.

The eastern Pacific hurricane season officially runs from May 15 through Nov. 30, according to the agency.

Source: NOAA