Former Tropical Storm Linda strengthened to a hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Hurricane Linda was located at latitude 14.8°N and longitude 107.7°W which put it about 365 miles (590 km) southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico. Linda was moving toward the west-northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 991 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Linda strengthened on Thursday morning and the National Hurricane Center upgraded it to a hurricane. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the eastern side of the center of Linda and satellite images intermittently depicted the potential formation of an eye. Most of the thunderstorms in Hurricane Linda were occurring near the center of circulation and in bands in the southern half of the hurricane. Bands in the northern half of Linda consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of circulation generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Linda. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 105 miles (165 km) from the center of circulation.

Hurricane Linda will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Linda will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level ridge centered near Baja California. The ridge will produce northeasterly winds that will blow toward the top of Hurricane Linda’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The wind shear will somewhat inhibit intensification but the shear will not strong enough to prevent Linda from strengthening.

Hurricane Linda will move south of a high pressure system that extends from Mexico westward over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Linda toward the west-northwest during the next several days. On it anticipated track Hurricane Linda will pass south of Baja California.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Depression Kevin was weakening west of Baja California. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday the center of Tropical Depression Kevin was located at latitude 23.2°N and longitude 120.6°W which put it about 465 miles (750 km) southwest of Punta Eugenia, Mexico. Kevin was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (22 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 35 m.p.h. (55 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1007 mb.