Tropical Storm Hone forms in Pacific, could impact Hawaii this weekend
Tropical Storm Hone formed in the central Pacific Ocean on Thursday on a forecast path that may cross near Hawaii's Big Island, while Hurricane Gilma was a Category 2 storm at sea.
Hone had maximum sustained winds of about 50 mph, with higher gusts, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 5 p.m. EDT Friday. Forecasters said the center of Hone could pass near or south of the Big Island Saturday night or early Sunday. As of Friday evening, it was located about 425 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and was moving west at 16 mph.
The storm was expected to strengthen over the next two days and could become a hurricane by Sunday, forecasters said.
It is forecast to bring up to 5 to 10 inches of rain to windward and southeast facing slopes of Hawaii's Big Island between Saturday and Monday, according to the hurricane center, along with up to 4 inches of rain for the windward areas of the smaller islands.
A tropical storm watch was in place for Hawaii County, which covers the Big Island.
Swells generated by Hone were "likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents."
The central Pacific hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The NOAA this year forecast one to four tropical cyclones for the central Pacific region, which is below the average of four or five. A tropical cyclone includes tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. A tropical cyclone becomes a tropical storm when its maximum sustained winds reach 39 mph, and a hurricane when they reach 74 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Gilma in the eastern Pacific remained a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. It had weakened slightly from a Category 3 to a Category 2 storm, meaning it was no longer considered a major hurricane. .
Gilma was trailing behind Hone, located about 1,750 miles east of Hilo and moving west at 9 mph. It was expected to remain a hurricane through the weekend, but will likely weaken, forecasters said.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect with Gilma. The system strengthened to tropical storm status on Sunday and has grown more powerful since then.
Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from the center of Gilma and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
