Tropical Storm Don didn’t last long, but did manage to become a relatively early fourth named storm and did lead to some flash flooding in a few areas. Don became the fourth named storm of the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season on July 17, as it was about 500 miles east of Barbados, after a hurricane hunter mission found a small low pressure circulation with winds of tropical storm force. Within 36 hours of becoming a named storm, Don sputtered out.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Hilary is gaining strength and expected to maintain more stamina than Don and become a hurricane on Monday.
The center of Tropical Storm Hilary was located near latitude 12.7 North, longitude 102.3 West. Hilary is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 km/h), and this general motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected over the next 48 hours.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 45 mph (75 km/h) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Hilary is likely to become a hurricane on Monday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 80 miles (130 km) from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 1003 mb (29.62 inches).
Named storms are assigned several years in advance, the occurrence of Don and Hilary is strictly coincidence.
