Hurricane Linda weakening but still may bring showers to Hawaii early next week
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
The 5-day forecast track for Hurricane Linda as of this afternoon.
UPDATE: 5 p.m.
Hurricane Linda continued a weakening trend this afternoon in the Pacific Ocean.
Hurricane Linda, with winds at 90 mph, was located 1,330 miles east of Hilo. It is moving toward the west-northwest at 16 mph and this motion is expected to continue through the weekend.
Additional weakening is forecasted through Friday, and Linda is expected to become a gale-force post-tropical cyclone by Saturday.
11:05 a.m.
Hurricane Linda weakened slightly this morning but remained a Category 2 storm that is expected to pass just north of the islands early next week as a “post-tropical gale.”
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The storm was about 1,430 miles east of Hilo with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph and moving west-northwest at 14 mph late this morning, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
On Thursday, Linda is expected to enter the Central Pacific, still hundreds of miles from Hawaii, as a weakening tropical storm as it encounters cooler ocean water and wind shear.
Linda is forecast “to pass to the north of the Hawaiian islands as a post-tropical gale late Sunday into Monday,” with maximum winds of 35 or 40 mph.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu says as the remnants of Linda pass just north of the islands, it will cut off tradewinds, create “very humid conditions,” and produce possibly heavy showers over island interior sections.
A swell from Hurricane Linda is expected to arrive this afternoon and spread west through Thursday, with moderate surf along eastern shores into the weekend,forecasters said.
“Due to the uncertainties of this long range pattern it remains too early for island by island weather impacts,” forecasters said. “Stay tuned for more detailed information, as the time period grows shorter, and this extended range forecast evolves.”
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Linda maintained its strength overnight as a Category 2 hurricane although it’s expected to start weakening tonight.
Located 1,520 miles east of Hilo at 5 a.m. today, Linda was packing maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving west at 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Linda is forecast to start slowly weakening tonight, continuing through Thursday and Friday, weather officials said. A turn toward the west-northwest is expected later today with Linda expected to continue along that track through the weekend.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from Linda’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.
Linda is forecast to weaken to a tropical low Saturday, passing just north of the islands late Saturday through Monday, bringing humid sea conditions during the day and possible locally heavy showers.
“Due to the uncertainties of this long-range pattern, it remains too early for island by island weather impacts (from Linda),” National Weather Service officials in Honolulu said this morning. “Stay tuned for more detailed information, as the time period grows shorter, and this extended-range forecast evolves.”
Today’s forecast for Hawaii calls for sea breezes to continue with scattered showers in the afternoon through early evening. Moderate to breezy trade winds are expected to return tonight and hang around through Saturday, forecasters said.
A high surf advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today for south shores of all islands.
