Former Tropical Storm Fabio strengthened into a hurricane Monday morning as it moved south of Baja California. At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Fabio was located at latitude 12.8°N and longitude 110.9°W which put it about 700 miles (1125 km) south of the southern tip of Baja California. Fabio was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 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 989 mb.
The inner core of Hurricane Fabio exhibited signs of greater organization on Monday morning. Microwave satellite imagery provided evidence of a rainband wrapping around the southern and eastern sides of the center of circulation. There were intermittent signs that an eye could be forming at the center of circulation. Several bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of the circulation. The strongest thunderstorms were occurring in bands south and east of the center of Hurricane Fabio. The bands north and west of the center were weaker, which may indicate that there was some drier air in those parts of the circulation. Thunderstorms near the core of Fabio were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the hurricane in all directions.
Hurricane Fabio will be moving through an environment that is very favorable for intensification. Fabio will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28.5°C. It will move through an area where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. It will continue to strengthen and it could intensify rapidly once an eye forms and persists. Fabio is forecast to strengthen to a major hurricane on Tuesday.
Hurricane Fabio is moving south of a subtropical ridge which is steering the hurricane toward the west-northwest. The west-northwesterly motion is forecast to continue during the next several days. On its anticipated track Hurricane Fabio will move away from Baja California.