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Muggy weather blankets isles as Celia passes north

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NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

A composite satellite image captured this morning shows Tropical Storm Celia, Hurricane Darby and Tropical Storm Estelle.

Muggy weather will envelop the islands today as the remnants of Hurricane Celia pass north of the state, bringing in moisture and cutting off the tradewinds.

“It’s already feeling muggy and it’s just going to get worse as the winds die down Monday and Tuesday,” said Maureen Ballard, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. “In addition, the moisture that’s going to come in is also helping to fuel some showers.”

The dew point could reach the mid-70s as tradewinds drop off today and Tuesday. A dew point of 70 degrees signifies a lot of moisture in the air and is the point where people start to feel uncomfortable.

“We are already into the low 70s,” Ballard said Sunday evening. “If the tradewinds are blowing, it’s not as noticeable. But as they climb up into the mid-70s … with no wind, it really just feels really bad.”

“Turn the fans on,” she said.

Celia will continue moving west and will be far enough on Wednesday to allow trades winds to return on Wednesday and Thursday.

But then the impacts from Hurricane Darby will begin arriving, Ballard said. Hurricane Darby was about 1,565 miles east of Hawaii Island at 5 a.m.

Hurricane Darby weakened overnight, and is expected to continue weakening — to a tropical storm — today, the National Hurricane Center said. The category 1 hurricane was moving west at about 10 mph with 75 mph maximum sustained winds and hurricane-force winds extending up to 30 miles from the center.

Darby could bring long-period swells after today and moisture by the end of the week.

Ballard said models predict an increase in showers as early as Friday and for the weekend because of Darby, but there was still a high degree of uncertainty.

She said the conditions ahead of Darby are not conducive to the storm strengthening and it was expected to cross into the Central Pacific as a tropical storm on Wednesday. By Friday, it will be about 300 miles east of the Big Island.

Behind Darby is Tropical Storm Estelle, which was about 2,600 miles east of the Big Island. Estelle was forecast to become a hurricane later today. It was still too far to determine what impact it could have on the islands.

Besides the muggy, wet weather, Celia was also bringing strong wind and surf.

A gale warning was in effect for offshore waters, which extend outside 40 nautical miles from shore, and mariners were being warned of 5- to 15-foot seas today.

A high surf advisory was also in effect until 6 p.m. today for 6- to 10-foot surf along east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Big Island.

Ballard warned that while the Central Pacific hasn’t had any hurricanes yet, it’s still early in the season, which started in June.

Forecasters predicted an average to above average hurricane season this year with four to seven tropical cyclones. The season runs through November.

“It’s better to prepare now,” she said. “Make sure you’ve got your supplies.”

One response to “Muggy weather blankets isles as Celia passes north”

  1. allie says:

    The article does not mention that Darby is not at all like Cecilia and that it will pass south of the islands. It may be within 200 miles of the Big Island but we don’t know. But it will have a very different impact of Hawaii.

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