Rain showers and thunderstorms within a broad tropical disturbance southeast of Hawaii appeared to be weakening dramatically Thursday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

The center has been tracking the weather disturbance in the event it turns into a tropical cyclone.

Weather officials said chances of a cyclone seemed marginal, as it drifts toward the west-northwest about 650 miles southeast of Hilo.

Officials, who had once given the weather disturbance a 60 percent chance of forming a cyclone, said the chances are now 40 percent.

Winds within the weather disturbance, once close to 29 mph, were blowing at 23 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather Service officials also said the highest tides of August are expected this weekend: a projected maximum of 2.4 feet in the afternoon Friday through Sunday.

Weather Service lead forecaster Tom Birchard said high tides could actually be closer to 3 feet because of an eddy moving from east to west across the Hawaiian Islands.