The storm’s maximum sustained winds Monday are 115 miles per hour (185 kph). At midday UTC on Saturday October 24, the center of the storm is forecast to be 500 Michigan east of Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, equivalent to a Category 2 storm on the SSHWS. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that this is the farthest south that a major hurricane has formed in the basin since reliable records began in 1971.
Advertisement
On its current trajectory, Olaf – the 11th hurricane of the eastern Pacific season – would stay away from land and out over open water in the coming days, it said.
As of 5 a.m. HST Monday (Oct 19) Olaf was reported to be a major hurricane at Category 3 strength and was about 1,345 miles (2,160 km) east southeast of Hilo, Hawaii. Now Olaf is Category 3.
Advertisement
In the Central Pacific, which is where Hawaii is located, no tropical cyclones are expected to develop through Wednesday morning. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward from the storm’s center up to 140 miles while hurricane-force winds reached outward up to 25 miles. This general motion is expected to continue today with a turn toward the west-northwest forecast on Monday.
