07-23-2016, 07:16 AM
From the Central Pacific hurricane center:
Update 10:51 a.m.
Tropical Storm Darby is beginning to weaken as it moved to within 60 miles of Hilo, but is still expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rains to the Hawaiian islands.
Strong winds and heavy rains from the outer bands of Darby were beginning to hit the Puna area and West Maui, but the heaviest rains and tropical storm-force winds are yet to come, National Weather Service forecasters said.
Air Force Hurricane Hunter planes flying through the storm found the strongest winds are in the northeast quadrant of Darby and the heaviest rains appear to be in the southeast quadrant, behind the storm’s center, said Kevin Kodama, a meteorologist with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Just before 11 a.m., the center of the storm was 60 miles south-southeast of Hilo and about 260 miles southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm is still headed west at 10 mph and tropical storm force winds extend about 105 miles from the center, slightly less than the 125 miles from the center reported earlier this morning.
Darby is on a path that will likely take it over Hawaii island and close to Maui County, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen to the storm after it reaches the Big Island.
“You’re kind of at multiple forks in the road,” Kodama said. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen in term of outcomes.”
The storm should continue to weaken as it moves over land.
But it’s not clear yet exactly how the terrain of the Big Island and the tall mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa will affect the storm. Darby is also forecast to turn toward the northwest. But it’s not certain when that turn will happen or how sharp of a turn it will be.
“The direction that it takes could have a big impact on the rains and winds it brings,” Kodama said.
The best thing to do is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, Kodama said.
Update 10:51 a.m.
Tropical Storm Darby is beginning to weaken as it moved to within 60 miles of Hilo, but is still expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rains to the Hawaiian islands.
Strong winds and heavy rains from the outer bands of Darby were beginning to hit the Puna area and West Maui, but the heaviest rains and tropical storm-force winds are yet to come, National Weather Service forecasters said.
Air Force Hurricane Hunter planes flying through the storm found the strongest winds are in the northeast quadrant of Darby and the heaviest rains appear to be in the southeast quadrant, behind the storm’s center, said Kevin Kodama, a meteorologist with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Just before 11 a.m., the center of the storm was 60 miles south-southeast of Hilo and about 260 miles southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm is still headed west at 10 mph and tropical storm force winds extend about 105 miles from the center, slightly less than the 125 miles from the center reported earlier this morning.
Darby is on a path that will likely take it over Hawaii island and close to Maui County, but there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen to the storm after it reaches the Big Island.
“You’re kind of at multiple forks in the road,” Kodama said. “We just don’t know what’s going to happen in term of outcomes.”
The storm should continue to weaken as it moves over land.
But it’s not clear yet exactly how the terrain of the Big Island and the tall mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa will affect the storm. Darby is also forecast to turn toward the northwest. But it’s not certain when that turn will happen or how sharp of a turn it will be.
“The direction that it takes could have a big impact on the rains and winds it brings,” Kodama said.
The best thing to do is to prepare for the worst and hope for the best, Kodama said.