Hurricane forecasters tracking 2 storms in Pacific. Is Hawaii in danger?
Hawaii is preparing for heavy rainfall and windy conditions from Tropical Storm Hone this weekend.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts that Hone will pass south of the Hawaiian Islands and strengthen into a hurricane briefly southwest of Hawaii late Sunday into Monday, the weather service said.
Weather experts warn that Hone could bring a risk of wildfires, especially if areas experience high winds and no rain.
"If Hone loses organization and some of the rain bands fall apart, the lee sides of the mountains may get very little or no rain and may get a lot of wind instead, which could increase the wildfire danger," Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather’s lead hurricane expert said on Friday.
The NWS also said that the National Hurricane Center was issuing advisories for Hurricane Gilma. The hurricane is now around 1650 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii, the weather service said. Gilma poses less of a threat to land than Hone and is "expected to weaken considerably before reaching Hawaii", according to Accuweather.
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Hawaii prepares for Hone
The island of Hawaii had several alerts ahead of Hone. This included a tropical storm warning, flood watch, high surf warning and a red flag fire weather warning, according to the NWS Honolulu office on Saturday.
In an update Friday afternoon, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said Hone isn’t likely to cause a public safety power shutoff, or PSPS, for risk of wildfire by Hawaiian Electric, the local energy provider. That’s because high winds, low humidity and dry conditions are typically required for shutoffs, he said in a video posted to social media. Instead, Hone is likely to bring rain.
“It’s a possibility, but not a strong possibility, that there’ll be a PSPS event,” he said.
In anticipation of Hone passing through, state officials also closed campgrounds and hunting areas on the island of Hawaii over the weekend.
“Everyone is urged to use caution and stay informed of current and forecast weather conditions,” a state news release said on Friday. “Additional closures may happen without notice.”
Tropical Storm Hone Tracker
Hurricane Gilma Tracker
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Hone, Hurricane Gilma: Track forecast, storm path
