Tropical Cyclone Elida churned toward the northwest over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean west of Baja California on Friday. At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday the center of Tropical Storm Elida was located at latitude 17.1°N and longitude 121.9°E which put the center about 875 miles (1410 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Elida was moving toward the west-northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 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 994 mb.
Tropical Cyclone Elida maintained its intensity on Friday. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the western side of the center of Elida’s circulation. However, the circulation around Elida appeared to pull some drier air into the eastern side of the tropical storm. Thunderstorms in some of the bands in the eastern side of Tropical Storm Elida weakened. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were still revolving around the center of Elida’s circulation. Storms near the center of Elida also still generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. The removal of mass in the upper levels was nearly equal to the convergence of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere. So, the surface pressure did not change much on Friday.
The distribution of wind speeds around Tropical Storm Elida was still asymmetrical on Friday. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 195 miles (315 km) in the eastern side of Elida’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force only extended out 105 miles (165 km) in the western side of Tropical Storm Elida.
Tropical Storm Elida will move through an environment that will be favorable for intensification for about another 24 hours. Elida will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. It will move under the middle of an upper level ridge that is over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Elida could still intensify to a hurricane during the next 24 hours. Elida is likely to start to weaken on Sunday when it moves over cooler water.
Tropical Storm Elida will move around the southwestern part of a high pressure system that is over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Elida toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Elida will remain far to the west of Baja California.
