Former Tropical Storm Darby strengthened to a hurricane over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean southwest of Baja California on Sunday evening. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Hurricane Darby was located at latitude 14.6°N and longitude 120.6°W which put it about 905 miles (1455 km) southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Darby was moving toward the west at 17 m.p.h. (28 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 75 m.p.h. (120 km/h) and and there were wind gusts to 90 m.p.h. (145 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 993 mb.

Former Tropical Storm Darby strengthened to a hurricane on Sunday. A very small circular eye appeared intermittently on satellite images of Hurricane Darby. The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the small core of Darby’s circulation. Storms near the core generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. Winds to hurricane force extended out 15 miles (25 km) in the northeastern quadrant of Hurricane Darby. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 60 miles (95 km) from the center of Darby.

Hurricane Darby will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 36 hours. Darby will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 28˚C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Hurricane Darby is likely to continue to intensify during the 36 hours. The small size of the circulation around Hurricane Darby means that it could change intensity rapidly if the environmental conditions change. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the small core of Darby’s circulation, then an eyewall replacement cycle could cause fluctuations in intensity.

Hurricane Darby will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Darby toward the west during the next 36 hours. On its anticipated track Hurricane Darby will move farther away from Baja California. Darby could cross into the Central Pacific Ocean later this week.