All you need to Know About Tropical Storm Keli

Two simultaneous tropical cyclones—Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli—are currently active in the central Pacific Ocean, well south of Hawaii. Iona rapidly intensified into a major hurricane, while Keli developed shortly afterward, marking an uncommon occurrence of concurrent storms in the region. Though neither system poses a direct threat to Hawaii, they have prompted close monitoring due to indirect effects such as elevated surf and dry, gusty conditions. This article explores everything you need to know about their formation, structure, behavior, and potential impacts.

Formation and Development of Hurricane Iona

Hurricane Iona originated from a tropical depression that formed over warm open waters, before undergoing extraordinary intensification—jumping from a 50 mph tropical storm to a 115 mph Category 3 hurricane within 24 hours. Such rapid strengthening places it among the top 1% of storms in terms of intensification rates. The storm benefited from unusually favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions, including very warm sea surface temperatures, low wind shear, and high moisture content. This explosive development defied initial forecasts which had predicted it would peak as a minimal tropical storm. Monitoring agencies quickly updated their advisories once microwave satellite imagery revealed the storm’s internal structural improvements, unseen by conventional infrared techniques.
 • Rapid intensification from ~50 mph to ~115 mph in a day
 • Category 3 status achieved—first major hurricane in central Pacific since Dora (2023)
 • Emerged as tropical depression Sunday, named Iona, then tracked westward over open ocean