Tropical Storm Hone is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains to Hawaii this weekend, especially to the Big Island and Maui, as it passes south of the island chain. Forecasters believe that it will strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane as it moves around the US state, UNN writes with reference to AP.
Details
According to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, a tropical storm warning was in effect for Hawaii County, which includes the entire Big Island, on Friday.
"Hone", which means ‘sweet and mild’ in Hawaiian, is expected to bring sustained winds of 32 to 48 km/h and gusts of 80 km/h to Maui and the Big Island. Oahu and Kauai are expected to have slightly weaker winds.
The east coast and southeastern corner of the Big Island are expected to receive 10 to 20 centimeters of precipitation from Saturday to Sunday. Maui could see 5 to 10 centimeters of precipitation.
These forecasts are subject to change depending on the direction of the storm.
The storm is approaching while all of Hawaii is dry. The US Drought Monitor reports that most of Hawaii is in moderate drought, while parts of Maui and the Big Island are in severe drought.
At the same time, the August storm evoked memories of a powerful hurricane south of Hawaii that helped ignite a deadly wildfire that destroyed the city of Lahaina on Maui during last summer's drought, but the US National Weather Service said Hone does not create the same conditions.
Laura Farris, a meteorologist with the weather service in Honolulu, said drier air is expected to move into the western part of the state this weekend, raising some concerns about fire risk. "But it's not even close to what we saw last year," Farris said.
Addendum
The cause of the Lahaina fire, the deadliest in the United States in a hundred years, has not been determined, but it may have been caused by exposed electrical wires and tilted power poles that fell due to strong winds.
To reduce the risk of wildfires, the state's electricity companies Hawaiian Electric and Kauai Island Utility Cooperative have begun to cut off power during high winds and drought.
Separately, to the east of Hawaii, Category 2 Hurricane Gilma was moving westward across the Pacific Ocean, but it is too early to tell if it will affect the islands. It is forecast to weaken, but is expected to remain a hurricane through the weekend.