Tropical Storm Pena strengthened a little on Tuesday as it moved over the Central North Pacific Ocean far to the southwest of Hawaii. At 10:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Pena was located at latitude 10.5°N and longitude 166.0°W which put the center about 920 miles (1480 km) southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. Pena was moving toward the west at 8 m.p.h. (15 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1002 mb.
Tropical Storm Pena strengthened a little on Tuesday.
More thunderstorms developed near the center of Tropical Storm Pena. Thunderstorms were also occurring in bands in the northern part of Pena’s circulation. Bands in the southern part of Tropical Storm Pena consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Storms near the center of Pena generated a little more upper level divergence that pumped a little more mass away from the tropical storm. The removal of a little more mass caused the surface pressure to decrease slightly on Tuesday.
The strongest winds were occurring in the northern side of Tropical Storm Pena. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 100 miles (160 km) in the northern half of Pena’s circulation. The winds in the southern half of Tropical Storm Pena were blowing at less than tropical storm force.
Tropical Storm Pena will move through an environment that will be somewhat favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Pena will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. However, Tropical Storm Pena will move into a large mass of drier air that is east of the International Date Line. The drier air will inhibit the formation of new thunderstorms. Tropical Storm Pena could intensify a little more on Wednesday in spite of the drier air. However, the drier air is forecast to cause Pena to weaken later this week.
Tropical Storm Pena will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Central North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Pena toward the west during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Pena will continue to move farther away from Hawaii.