After almost ten days of inactivity, the Eastern Pacific has fired up again with two named storms in the past 48 hours.  Prior to that, the Atlantic had surpassed the EPAC in terms of the number of named storms formed so far in 2011.  However, the Eastern Pacific has tied the Atlantic with seven named storms thanks to the formation of Tropical Storm Fernanda on Monday and Tropical Storm Greg on Tuesday.  The Eastern Pacific also has had five hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

All three major storms became Category Four Hurricanes on the Saffir-Simpson Scale with Hurricane Dora being the strongest storm in the region so far this season with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, and a minimum central pressure of 929 millibars, or 27.43 inches of Hg.  The EPAC started the season with five straight hurricanes before Fernanda and Greg emerged.  Fernanda is already headed toward the Central Pacific, but thanks to cooler waters and wind shear, the storm isn’t expected to have much of a punch if and when it reaches Hawaii.

Fernanda formed first as a depression on Monday afternoon about midway between Baja  California and Hawaii.  Maximum sustained winds at the time were estimated to be at 35 miles per hour while minimum central pressure was still quite high at 1007 millibars.  Since then, the storm intensified to have maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and a minimum central pressure of 1000 millibars, or 29.53 inches of Hg.  Peak wind gusts are estimated to be at 65 miles per hour.  These estimates are based on satellite intensity since the storm is too far out for Hurricane Hunter aircraft to fly into it.  Tropical Storm Fernanda is moving West at about 7 miles per hour.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Greg formed in the late afternoon EDT on Tuesday.  Forming as a depression off the Southern Coast of Mexico, Greg had maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, and a minimum central pressure of 1006 millibars or 29.71 inches of Hg.  Within 12 hours, Greg strengthened into the seventh named storm of the season.  Centered some 135 miles to the South-Southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico, or about 260 miles to the South-Southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico, the storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, gusts up to 50 miles per hour, and a minimum central pressure of 1004 millibars or 29.65 inches of Hg.  Greg is moving off to the West-Northwest at 16 miles per hour.