India, Aug. 2 -- A tropical storm has quickly intensified into Hurricane Gil off the US coast, prompting warnings for travelers heading to Hawaii to exercise caution.

According to forecasters, Hurricane Gil is currently centered around 1,000 miles southwest of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, with sustained winds of up to 75 mph (120 kph).

Gil was promptly elevated to hurricane status after initially being categorized as a tropical storm.

With considerable forward momentum, experts caution that it may reach California as early as today. During the passage of Tropical Storm Iona and another adjacent meteorological system, authorities in Hawaii have issued fire hazard alerts.

Earlier, the Honolulu National Weather Service said: ...