Tropical trouble in paradise: TS Hone wants to visit Hawaii

A rare tropical storm has formed in the central Pacific and is expected to bring weather disruption to Hawaii this weekend.


At 8 a.m. HST (2 p.m. EDT), the center of Tropical Storm Hone was located at 16.5 N, 147.0 W, or about 570 miles east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on the Big Island. Its maximum sustained winds were 45 mph with a minimum central pressure of 1002 mb, or 29.59 inches of mercury. Hone was moving west at 16 mph.


A Tropical Storm Warning applies to the Big Island of Hawaii. This means tropical storm conditions are possible within the next 48 hours.


Hone is moving over warm waters southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, which will cause it to strengthen over the next few days. It will likely pass about 100 miles south of the Big Island overnight Saturday and Sunday as a strong tropical storm before intensifying into a hurricane on its way out of Hawaii.


This narrow pass to the 50^th The state will bring its share of dangers. Strong winds will pick up this afternoon and will continue through Saturday and Sunday, especially over passes and downwind of the mountainous terrain. Here, gusts of 50 to 70 mph cannot be ruled out, while Hilo and the coastal towns could experience sustained winds of 25 to 30 mph with gusts of 35 to 45 mph.


Heavy rain is also expected. Beaches in the east and southeast could see 4 to 8 inches of rain, especially in the southern half of the Big Island. This type of rain is likely to cause flooding and Flood warnings are all over the Big Island. Remember: If you come across water on the road, “Turn around, don't drown!”


Hone (pronounced hoe-NAY) is unusual in that it formed in the “Central Pacific” between the 140th longitude and the International Date Line. It is the first storm of its type since Ema in 2019. While the Hawaiian Islands average about one storm per year, they usually start much closer to Mexico, strengthen into a major hurricane, and are already in their weakening phase by the time they approach Hawaii. An example of this type of storm is last year's Hurricane Calvin, which came from the Mexican coast and took a similar path to Hone as it approached Hawaii.