MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Iona formed in the central Pacific Ocean and is expected to continue trekking toward the west over warm, open waters well south of Hawaii.
Iona emerged Sunday from a tropical depression and was about 915 miles (1,473 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm was forecast to become a hurricane by Monday night, but currently poses no threat to Hawaii.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph (80 kph). It was moving in a generally westward direction at about 12 mph (19 kph).
Iona is the first named storm of the hurricane season in the central Pacific. It was forecast to weaken starting Tuesday.
