Tropical Storm Gil Weakens After Brief Hurricane Peak, No Threat to Land

Tropical Storm Gil was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday after its maximum sustained winds slipped from roughly 75 mph to 70 mph, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. At 5 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, the storm’s center was located about 1,250 miles west of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula while tracking west-northwest at nearly 20 mph. Mexico’s Comisión Nacional del Agua (Conagua) placed the system more than 2,000 kilometers southwest of Baja California Sur and confirmed that its projected path keeps it well offshore, eliminating any immediate threat to Mexican territory. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect for Mexico or Hawaii, although forecasters cautioned that higher surf could reach the Hawaiian islands. The hurricane center expects Gil to continue losing strength over cooler waters and transition to a post-tropical cyclone as early as Sunday. Forecasters are also monitoring separate low-pressure areas in the eastern Pacific, but none currently pose land hazards.