Tropical Storm Douglas strengthened quickly over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Douglas was located at latitude 12.4°N and longitude 124.2°W which put it about 2110 miles (3390 km) east of Hilo, Hawaii.  Douglas was moving toward the west-southwest at 15 m.p.h. (24 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

The circulation around Tropical Storm Douglas exhibited much better organization on Tuesday morning.  The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the southern and eastern sides of the center of circulation.  Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around around the center of Douglas.  The strongest bands were in the southern half of Tropical Storm Douglas.  Storms near the center of circulation were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the tropical storm.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 40 miles (65 km) from the center of Douglas.

Tropical Storm Douglas will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next several days.  Douglas will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 29°C.  It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear.  Tropical Storm Douglas is likely to intensify into a hurricane during the next 24 hours and it could strengthen into a major hurricane later this week.

Tropical Storm Douglas will move south of a subtropical high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The high is likely to steer Douglas toward the west-northwest during the next few days.  On its anticipated track Tropical Storm Douglas could approach Hawaii by late in the weekend.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Tropical Depression Seven-E weakened over cooler water east of Hawaii.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Depression Seven-E was located at latitude 19.3°N and longitude 134.1°W which put it about 1575 miles (2535 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California.  The depression was moving toward west at 13 m.p.h. (20 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 1009 mb.