Hurricane Iona quickly gained strength on Monday morning in the central Pacific Ocean and is projected to continue moving westward over warm, open waters well to the south of Hawaii.
The storm developed from a tropical depression on Sunday and was located roughly 895 miles (1,440 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. At this time, Iona is not expected to pose any threat to the Hawaiian Islands.
There are currently no coastal watches or warnings in effect. Forecasters expect Iona to intensify over the next couple of days before it begins to weaken by midweek.
As of Monday, Iona had maximum sustained winds near 75 mph (120 kph) and was moving west at a speed of about 10 mph (17 kph). This marks the first named storm of the central Pacific hurricane season.
Meanwhile, a second weather system has formed in the region. Tropical Depression Two-C is situated about 1,140 miles (1,840 kilometers) east-southeast of Honolulu. It currently has sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph) and is also expected to gain strength in the coming days.
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