NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER The 5-day forecast track for Hurricane Kiko as of 11 a.m. today 1 /2 NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER The 5-day forecast track for Hurricane Kiko as of 11 a.m. today NOAA A satellite view this morning of Hurricane Kiko far east of Hawaii.
2 /2 NOAA A satellite view this morning of Hurricane Kiko far east of Hawaii.
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER The 5-day forecast track for Hurricane Kiko as of 11 a.m. today NOAA A satellite view this morning of Hurricane Kiko far east of Hawaii.
UPDATE : 12 :25 p.m.
Kiko grew to a Category 2 hurricane in the East Pacific this morning and is expected to continue strengthening as it heads toward the Central Pacific.
As of about 11 a.m., Kiko had maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Kiko was centered about 1, 775 miles east of Hilo and was moving west at 6 mph, forecasters said. Kiko is a compact storm with hurricane-force winds extending up to 15 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extending up to 60 miles.
“Additional steady strengthening is expected during the next day or so, and Kiko is likely to become a major hurricane by Wednesday, ” the NHC’s midday update said.
The five-day forecast has Kiko weakening back to a Category 1 hurricane as it enters the Central Pacific on Saturday. “Between days 3 and 4, water temperatures along Kiko’s path will begin to decrease while it also moves into a progressively drier air mass, ” forecasters said.
They expect Kiko to continue on a general westward track through Wednesday before gradually turning west-northwest later this week.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE Hurricane Kiko continued strengthening early today far east of Hawaii and is forecast to become a major hurricane by Wednesday night, but forecasters said it remains too early to determine any potential impacts on the islands.
As of 5 a.m. Kiko was located about 1, 815 miles east of Hilo, moving west at 6 mph with maximum sustained winds near 85 mph and higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expect Kiko to continue on a general westward track through Wednesday before gradually turning west-northwest later this week.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from Kiko’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles.
Kiko is expected to cross into the Central Pacific basin Friday or Saturday, when forecasters will begin monitoring potential changes to the system’s path more closely.
“It remains too early to tell what, if any, impacts this system might have on local weather as it nears the islands early next week, ” the National Weather Service said in its Honolulu area forecast discussion.
Currently, no coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
A light to moderate flow of tradewinds continues to usher in a drier and more stable airmass throughout the Hawaiian islands, lingering through the remainder of the week. Overnight and into the early morning, expect occasional light showers across windward and mauka areas, especially around Kauai and the Big Island’s higher elevations.
In contrast, leeward areas should remain largely dry, though the familiar sea breezes will carry afternoon clouds and isolated showers—particularly on the Kona slopes of the Big Island.
Looking ahead, a weak surface ridge sitting north of Kauai will steady the tradewinds, while an upper-level low moving northward will allow a strong mid-level ridge over the eastern islands to build in, enhancing stable conditions statewide.
As the current south swell diminishes, a new south-southwest energy is expected over the weekend, with east-facing beaches remaining relatively calm.
Coastal flooding may become an issue around afternoon high tides from midweek into the weekend, especially as water levels run higher than usual. That said, the persistent light-to-moderate trades are expected to keep fire weather concerns well below critical thresholds.
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