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COURTESY NOAA
This satellite image shows Tropical Storm Flossie moving toward Hawaii this morning.
COURTESY NOAA
This image from the National Weather Service shows the projected tropical storm wind speed probabilities of Tropical Storm Flossie over the next five days.
COURTESY NOAA
This image from the National Weather Service shows the projected track of Tropical Storm Flossie over the next five days.
The National Weather Service is tracking a tropical storm that strengthened from a tropical depression overnight in the Eastern Pacific.
Tropical Storm Flossie is expected to move into the Central Pacific this weekend, and could affect Hawaii’s weather early next week.
It is not expected to develop into a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said.
Maximum sustained winds are about 40 mph with higher gusts. The storm is less than 2,000 miles east-southeast of the Big Island moving west at 18 mph.
The storm will begin moving into cooler waters, which should weaken the system.
The system is forecast to move east of Hawaii by Monday.
However, National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu say it’s too early to say how Flossie will affect our weather.
Other storms that have moved east-northeast of Hawaii have cut off the trade winds and created muggy and sometimes wet conditions, along with bringing surf to eastern shores.
Ian Morrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Honolulu, said the storm highlights that people should be prepared and have emergency kits stocked.
“It’s a very good reminder that we are in the middle of hurricane season,” Morrison said. “The more prepared Hawaii is, then the better off everyone is going to be when it (a storm) does happen.”
