Hurricane Iona rapidly intensified to a major hurricane over the Central Pacific Ocean south-southeast of Hawaii on Monday night.  At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Iona was located at latitude 10.8°N and longitude 153.2°W which put the center about 790 miles (1270 km) south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Iona was moving toward the west at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 140 m.p.h. (225 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 964 mb.

Hurricane Iona continued to intensify rapidly during Monday night.  A small circular eye formed at the center of Iona’s circulation.  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 center of Hurricane Iona.  Storms near the center of Iona generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane.  The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease rapidly.

The circulation around Hurricane Iona was small.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles (30 km) from the center of Iona’s circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Hurricane Iona.

Hurricane Iona will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Iona 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 over the Central Pacific Ocean.  The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Iona’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear.  The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the wind shear will not be enough to prevent intensification.  Hurricane Iona could continue to intensify during the next 24 hours.

Hurricane Iona will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Central Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Iona toward the west during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Hurricane Iona will pass south of Hawaii on Tuesday.

Elsewhere over the Central Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Keli continue to move toward the west behind Hurricane Iona.  At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Keli was located at latitude 12.5°N and longitude 146.6°W which put the center about 960 miles (1550 km) southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Keli was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1006 mb.