Emilia Regains Major Hurricane Status

Hurricane Emilia has regained major hurricane strength in the East Pacific today as she battles her way westward.

Emilia is currently a Category 3 hurricane with maximum wind speeds of 115 MPH and a minimum central pressure reading of 960 millibars. Satellite imagery shows Emilia with a defined eye and strong core that appears to be stronger on the western flank than the east, where the eye seems to be leaning. This lack of a western flank concerns me and leads me to believe that Emilia could be on a weakening trend. If the eye does happen to be pulled more eastward and pulls into whatever force is causing the eastern portion of the system to deteriorate, the hurricane could simply die out.

Upper level winds are not too favorable for hurricane development and sustainability, with shear of roughly 20 knots present in the storm's vicinity. Both factors could be contributing to a loss on the eastern side.

Models predict Emilia to continue on a westward motion and weaken with time. However, after this unexpected strengthening, there is some more wiggle room for the storm to do whatever it wants.

Andrew