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Felicia weakens to tropical storm as Guillermo loses steam

COURTESY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
                                As of 4:45 p.m. today, Felicia is approximately 1,355 miles east of Hilo and moving westward near 15 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and higher gusts.

COURTESY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

As of 4:45 p.m. today, Felicia is approximately 1,355 miles east of Hilo and moving westward near 15 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and higher gusts.

UPDATE: 4:55 p.m.

Tropical Storm Felicia continues to rapidly weaken as it gets closer to the Hawaiian Islands, according to forecasters with the National Weather Service in Miami.

As of 4:45 p.m. today, Felicia is approximately 1,355 miles east of Hilo and moving westward near 15 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and higher gusts.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Felicia is expected to make a slight turn to the southwest in the next few days as it continues to rapidly degrade into a tropical depression by Tuesday afternoon.

The storm will likely cross into the Central Pacific basin by Tuesday night, with additional weakening forecast due to increasing westerly vertical wind shear along with drier and cooler low- to mid-level air.

Further to the east, Tropical Depression Guillermo also continues to weaken and is expected to first become a remnant low on Tuesday before turning into a trough of low pressure by Friday.

Forecasters said Guillermo was about 820 miles west-southwest of Baja California as of 5 p.m. and is moving westward at 18 mph.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph, with higher gusts.

11 a.m.

Felicia and Guillermo continued to weaken this morning, the former easing to a tropical storm and the latter moving down to a tropical depression.

At 11 a.m., Tropical Storm Felicia was located about 1,445 miles east of Hilo and was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph while moving west at 14 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Weather officials expect Felicia to undergo more weakening, becoming a remnant low in a couple of days.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from Felicia’s center.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Guillermo was located about 2,292 miles east of Hilo and was packing maximum sustained winds of 35 mph while moving west at 17 mph, according to the NHC.

Weather officials expect Guillermo to become a remnant low by Wednesday night.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE

Hurricane Felicia and Tropical Storm Guillermo continued to weaken overnight as they tracked westward.

Located about 1,515 miles east of Hilo at 5 a.m. today, Felicia was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as it was heading west at 12 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Weather officials expect Felicia to increase its pace slightly in the westward or west-southwestward direction over the next few days. However, continued rapid weakening of its maximum sustained winds is forecast, with Felicia expected to become a tropical storm later today and a remnant low in a few days.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 10 miles from Felicia’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Guillermo was located about 2,423 east of Hilo at 5 a.m. while packing maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and heading west at 15 mph, according to the NHC.

Guillermo is expected to become a tropical depression on Tuesday and then a remnant low Wednesday night, according to forecasters.

Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles from Guillermo’s center.

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