Hurricane Fausto Is Closing In on Hawaii From the Open Pacific

While all of the weather headlines have been focused on Tropical Storm Bertha this week, Hurricane Fausto is quietly churning through the Eastern Pacific. Will Hawaii see any of the impacts of this tropical weather maker? Read on for all of the details of what is happening in the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Hawaii Put on Alert for Potential Tropical Impacts

The Hawaiian islands have been put on alert for the potential impact of Hurricane Fausto. As of the Thursday evening update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Fausto is a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 mph. Fausto is moving to the west at a fast clip, traveling 15 mph.

The latest long-range models suggest that Fausto may briefly intensify this weekend as it moves into the open waters of the Pacific and away from Mexico. Fausto is then forecast to fall to tropical storm strength again before nearing Hawaii. The feature is expected to skirt just to the north of the Hawaiian islands by the middle of next week.

Depending on where Fausto tracks, some portions of Hawaii could be dealing with gusty winds and locally heavy rain next week. The most noticeable impacts will come in the form of increased surf conditions and dangerous rip currents. The east- and north-facing beaches of the islands will be the most vulnerable to these rough seas.

The Eastern Pacific continues to be a hotbed of tropical weather activity this season. Forecasters with the NHC are now monitoring an area of potential development in the waters off the southwestern coast of Mexico.

Another zone of potential activity is brewing southwest of Hawaii. Any development in either of these two areas is not expected to result in any impacts to land.

The impacts of a strengthening El Niño will fuel the likelihood of more activity than usual in the Eastern and Central Pacific. Both these areas of the basin are forecast to generate an above-average number of named storms in 2026. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor what is happening in this corner of the world's oceans.