Heavy rain in forecast as storm is expected

Muggy weather, locally heavy showers and a slight chance of thundershowers is the forecast for the weekend thanks to Tropical Storm Ela.

As of 11 p.m. Wednesday, the tropical depression became Tropical Storm Ela.

Its wind speed was reported at 40 mph, just above the minimum for a storm.

However, it’s likely to lose steam and revert to a tropical depression.

“It’s still going to track northeast of the islands,” said Central Pacific Hurricane Center meteorologist Norman Hui. “The winds will die down and bring moist, unstable air over us, probably Saturday and Sunday.”

At 11 p.m. Wednesday, Ela was about 650 miles east of Hilo.

The 5 p.m. report had the tropical storm moving steadily northwest at 12 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. But the National Weather Service said the forecast for Friday shows it could turn toward the west and slow down.

Tradewind weather will continue through Thursday and most of Friday across the state.

There’s a slight chance of thunderstorms for Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon and night.

Two other systems have a chance of affecting Hawaii’s weather.

Scattered thunderstorms will continue around a weak surface low-pressure system about 600 miles south-southeast of Hilo. The weather service forecast that there is a 20 percent chance of forming a tropical depression by Friday.

There’s a good chance — 60 percent — of an area of low pressure forming within the same time frame, which could bring thunderstorms to the Hawaiian Islands. The system was 950 miles southwest of Honolulu as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.