The first tropical storm in the Central Pacific, Tropical Storm Hone, was proclaimed less than 12 hours after a tropical depression formed around 1,000 miles off the coast of Hawaii.
The tropical storm is predicted to move west or west-northwest over the Central Pacific, passing close to or south of the Hawaiian Islands this weekend and into the following week, according to the prediction track.
However, the effects of wind, rain, and waves will depend on how far away the system is from the archipelago.
According to several forecast models, the center of circulation is expected to stay approximately 200 miles south of the Big Island, resulting solely in impacts on the outer fringe.
Big Island coastal areas are under a Tropical Storm Watch because of the possibility that the cyclone will approach the state.
Forecasters constantly encourage citizens to be prepared for hurricane season and any potential effects because of the forecast’s uncertainty and the possibility of direct impacts.
While passing more than 500 miles south of the island chain in 2023, Category 4 Hurricane Dora created favorable conditions for wind-driven wildfires.
At least 102 people died and hundreds of structures on Maui were destroyed as a result of the tragedy.
What is the Tropical Storm Hone forecast?
Hone is traveling westward and is fewer than a thousand miles east-southeast of Hawaii. The system is predicted to spend the entirety of its lifecycle in the open waters of the Central Pacific on its current trajectory.
A direct impact is improbable, but the system may build to hurricane strength over the course of the weekend while traveling close to or south of Hawaii, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Hawaii experiences only a few direct landfalls per decade or two, based on monitoring data from the past.
What effects are anticipated in Hawaii?
Both directly and indirectly affecting the islands, the National Weather Service office in Honolulu is monitoring the effects of wind, waves, and rainfall.
The southern parts of the Big Island are expected to receive 4–8 inches of rain, while the mountainous areas of other small islands are expected to receive 2–4 inches of precipitation.
It is also anticipated that throughout the weekend, stronger seas may reach the islands, resulting in potentially fatal surf and rip currents. This is particularly valid on beaches that face the south, such Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach on the Big Island, Polihale State Park in Kauai, and Wailea Beach in Maui.
In most areas, sustained winds are predicted to be below tropical storm force (40 mph or more), although increased gusts are predicted to affect most, if not all, of the islands.
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Because of the surge of dry air and the milder water temperatures than in previous seasons, forecasters do not anticipate the creation of any tropical cyclones by the end of the month.
In the Eastern and Central Pacific, there are at least two tropical cyclones and maybe a third during the course of the upcoming week.
Located roughly 2,000 miles from Hawaii, Hurricane Gilma is the stronger of the two present systems. Gilma is traveling toward Hawaii in a westerly or west-northwest path, much like Tropical Storm Hone did.
At less than 10 mph, the storm system moves slowly, so Hawaii would probably not see its closest approach until Labor Day weekend.
In the Central and Eastern Pacific, hurricane season lasts until November 30.
