An Impressive Performance By Hurricane Georgette! (credit: NOAA Satellite and Information Service)

DISCUSSION: Earlier this morning, as a strengthening Tropical Storm Georgette contined moving over warmer ocean water across the Central Pacific Ocean coupled with relatively weaker atmospheric vertical wind shear, there was a great opportunity for this tropical storm to blossom.  Being over a region characterized by such favorable conditions, this tropical storm grew into an intense tropical cyclone which reached a maximum intensity of 135 MPH (i.e., a Category 4 Hurricane according to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale).  Despite the fact that a currently weakening Hurricane Georgette (which is still maintaining itself as a Category 2 Hurricane), this tropical cyclone is not any threat to land aside from some wave action along parts of Southern Cailfornia and the western side of the Baja Peninsula.

It is interesting to note the impressive storm-relative axisymmetry (i.e., the gorgeous structure associated with the spiraling of the coldest cloud tops as indicated by the infrared satellite image included below) despite its particularly small size.  This is indicative of a very intense and tightly-wrapped core circulation which fortunately will not affect any land areas directly in any way.  To learn more about other high-impact weather events from across the Central/Eastern Pacific Ocean, be sure to click here!