Hurricane Gilma continues to intensify in the open waters and has become a major hurricane in the East Pacific, stated the National Weather Center Thursday morning.
At 11 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Gilma remained a category 3 hurricane, according to the NHC, but now has sustained winds of almost 125 mph.
It is expected to strengthen a bit more throughout the day but will begin to weaken throughout the weekend.
Hurricane-force winds extend 35 miles out from the storm’s center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend up to 130 miles.
Coastal watches or warnings are still not in effect, and the storm also does not pose any hazards that will affect land.
The National Hurricane Center will release another update on the storm at 5 p.m. EDT.
Watch:Video shows wind from Alabama thunderstorm send large inflatable slide airborne
Hurricane tracker
More storms are being tracked
A storm that is northwest of Gilma has a 90% chance of forming, however it is still too soon to tell where it will go or the impact it will have, according to NHC.
A separate storm could form southeast of Gilma. It has a 50% chance of forming in the next 48 hours, and an 80% chance in the next seven days.
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How active is the 2024 hurricane season?
Just last week, Hurricane Ernesto hit Bermuda Saturday and brought life-threatening surf and rip currents along the East coast of the U.S.
And in July, we saw the earliest category 5 hurricane when Hurricane Beryl caused “catastrophic damage” and 20 deaths as it slammed into multiple islands in the Caribbean, and has a preliminary death toll of 25 from when it entered the U.S. and moved through Texas, Louisiana and Vermont, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.
“Atmospheric and oceanic conditions have set the stage for an extremely active hurricane season that could rank among the busiest on record,” stated NOAA’s website.
In 2024, there could be 17 to 24 named storms in the Atltantic, and around eight to 13 of them could become hurricanes, while four to seven can become major hurricanes with winds greater than 111 mph.
Usually, there will be around 14 named storms. Seven become hurricanes, and three become major hurricanes during a season, which takes place from June 1 through November 30.
What are the 2024 hurricane season names?
Atlantic
According to the National Hurricane Center, these are the list of names for the 2024 hurricane season:
- Alberto
- Beryl
- Chris
- Debby
- Ernesto
- Francine
- Gordon
- Helene
- Isaac
- Joyce
- Kirk
- Leslie
- Milton
- Nadine
- Oscar
- Patty
- Rafael
- Sara
- Tony
- Valerie
- William
Eastern North Pacific
- Aletta
- Bud
- Carlotta
- Daniel
- Emilia
- Fabio
- Gilma
- Hector
- Ileana
- John
- Kristy
- Lane
- Miriam
- Norman
- Olivia
- Paul
- Rosa
- Sergio
- Tara
- Vicente
- Willa
- Xavier
- Yolanda
- Zeke
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Mike Snider, Eduardo Cuevas, Jennifer Sangalang, Florida Today
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz
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