Hilda weakens to category 1 hurricane
This satellite image shows Hurricane Hilda as it approaches the Big Island Monday morning.
Hurricane Hilda weakened to a category 1 hurricane Monday morning and is continuing to lose strength as it moves northwest toward Hawaii, forecasters said.
At 5 a.m. Monday, Hilda had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and was 425 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 635 miles east-southeast of Honolulu, moving west-northwest at 9 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Oahu.
“It’s still far enough away that there’s a lot of uncertainty (in Hilda’s path),” said Derek Wroe, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
“Gradual weakening is expected today with more significant weakening forecast Monday and Tuesday,” the center said Sunday.
A relatively compact hurricane, Hilda’s hurricane-force winds of 74 mph or more extend just 25 miles from the center and its tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend 70 miles out.
As they did with the former Hurricane Guillermo, which had a close encounter with the islands last week, U.S. Air Force hurricane hunter airplanes are flying mission through the storm to provide additional insight into the storm, hurricane center forecasters said.
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Hilda’s immediate effect on the islands will be high surf.
“Swells associated with Hurricane Hilda will produce large surf along east and southeast facing shores of the main Hawaiian islands over the next couple of days,” forecasters said.
A high surf advisory for east-facing shores of the Hawaii island and Maui is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
Surf is expect to rise to 8 to 12 feet Monday night into Tuesday.
The strong breaking waves, shore break and rip currents could make swimming difficult and dangerous, forecasters said.
A hurricane warning is in effect for waters southeast of the islands 40 to 240 nautical miles from the islands, including a portion of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument east of French Frigate Shoals. Seas of 12 feet or higher and winds of 40 mph or higher are expected as the hurricane continues to approach the islands.
