A flurry of tropical activity has the Eastern Pacific Ocean making up for lost time. However, the season is still behind in named storms as there are normally nine named storms before the end of August.
HONOLULU – A flurry of tropical activity has the Eastern Pacific Ocean making up for lost time. However, the season is still behind in named storms as there are normally nine named storms before the end of August.
Tropical Storm Hone is on its way out as it weakens southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Now, Hurricane Gilma is tracking west toward the state but is about to encounter hostile conditions and cooler waters, according to the FOX Forecast Center. At one point over the weekend, Gilma was a Category 4 storm.
Gilma is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression as it moves near the islands on Friday into Saturday.
TROPICAL STORM HONE MOVING AWAY FROM HAWAII AFTER DUMPING MORE THAN 2 FEET OF RAIN ON BIG ISLAND
(FOX Weather)
“Hone passed about 50 miles south of the Big Island,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. “(Gilma) could actually pass just north of the Big Island. It’s still producing rain and gusty winds. By the time Gilma gets there, it’s not going to be as strong as Hone was … but it’s the hit-after-hit.”
The heavy precipitation associated with Hone had a major impact on Hawaii’s Big Island. Many areas received more than 2 feet of rain, sending water rushing down the steep slopes of the mountainous terrain into low-lying neighborhoods. It will not take a lot more rain from Gilma to cause some flash flooding.
The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Hector is following Gilma at the tail of the parade of storms but is not forecast to become a hurricane. Hector’s track takes it toward the Hawaiian Islands but dissipates before reaching the archipelago early next week.