Overview
- Norbert, which formed Thursday, is being tracked by the National Hurricane Center and was located near 16.4°N, 121.9°W with maximum sustained winds near 45 kt and a central pressure around 1000 mb at 03:00 UTC on September 11.
- Forecasters expect further strengthening and say Norbert could reach hurricane strength over the weekend while moving generally west to west‑northwest, though long‑range track and intensity forecasts carry substantial uncertainty.
- The NHC is also monitoring a broad area of low pressure several hundred miles southwest of southwestern Mexico that has a high seven‑day chance of developing into a tropical depression by early next week.
- Meteorologists link the spike in Eastern Pacific storms to a strengthening El Niño, which boosts upper‑ocean warmth and reduces wind shear there while producing stronger upper‑level winds and drier air that suppress Atlantic development.
- Coastal and marine impacts from Norbert can include rough seas, higher surf and strong gap winds near the Gulf of Tehuantepec, and officials say there is no immediate threat to Hawaii but they will watch the system’s long‑range evolution.