Tropical Storm Rick has likely reached its peak, National Hurricane Center forecasters said Friday morning.
Rick, the 17th named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed Thursday morning several hundred miles off the coast of southwestern Mexico.
The storm, located about 445 miles west-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, was circulating 40 mph winds as it tracked west-northwest at 12 mph, National Hurricane Center meteorologists said. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward from its center up to 45 miles.
Forecasters say Rick should continue to weaken thanks to increasing wind shear and cooler water temperatures. The tropical storm could be declared a remnant low as early as Monday morning.
In addition to Rick, forecasters are monitoring an area of low pressure that formed near the west coast of Nicaragua. Environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for development and a tropical cyclone could form by the middle of next week, forecasters said. The disturbance has a 70 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone within five days.
In the Central Pacific, which is where Hawaii is located, tropical cyclone formation is not expected through Sunday morning, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu.
The Central Pacific and Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons continue through Nov. 30.
Get more hurricane-related content, including preparation tips, evacuation info and daily tropical weather updates, on our hurricane season page, sponsored by Clark Realty, at www.westhawaiitoday.com/hurricane-season-2015.