Tropical Storm Barbara, seen on July 1,2019, at 9:20 a.m. ETin this sunrise view from GOES West, is steadily strengthening in the Eastern Pacific, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 11 a.m. ET, Tropical Storm Barbara was located about 930 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California and moving west at about 16 mph. The impressive storm, which formed less than 48 hours after Tropical Storm Alvin dissipated, is packing maximum sustained winds of 70 mph with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 140 miles from the center.
While Barbara will remain well away from land over the next five days, the strong tropical storm is expected to reach hurricane strength later today. Barbara is only the second named storm of the Eastern Pacific hurricane season.
This GeoColor enhanced imagery was created by NOAA's partners at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. The GOES West satellite, also known as GOES-17, provides geostationary satellite coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, the Pacific Ocean, Alaska and Hawaii. First launched in March 2018, the satellite became fully operational in February 2019.