Darby in East Pacific now a Category 4 hurricane, but still a long way from Hawaii
COURTESY NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
Hurricane Darby’s 5-day forecast track as of 5 p.m. today.
UPDATE: 5 p.m.
Hurricane Darby remains a powerful, Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 5 p.m., the eye of Hurricane Darby was located about 1,220 miles west, southwest of the southern tip of Baja, Calif., and moving toward the west at close to 17 mph.
This motion is expected to continue tonight, with a gradual turn to the west-northwest, beginning Tuesday.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 140 mph, with higher gusts. The NHC described Darby as a “very compact hurricane,” with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 10 miles from the center.
Darby is likely to change little in strength in the next day or so, according to NHC, with rapid weakening expected afterward.
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The National Weather Service of Honolulu says Darby is expected to pass into the Central Pacific Thursday as a weak tropical storm, then weaken further into a tropical depression by Saturday as the system approaches Hawaiian waters.
This could bring some heavy showers to the islands over the weekend, likely between Saturday night through Sunday. But the public should stay tuned for a more refined, long-term forecast throughout the week.
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Hurricane Darby has developed into a Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 11 a.m., the center of Hurricane Darby was located about 2,015 miles east-southeast of Hilo and traveling west at 15 mph. This motion is expected to continue today, with a gradual turn to the west-northwest by Tuesday.
Darby had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, with higher gusts, but still remains small, with hurricane-force winds only extending outward 10 miles from the center.
Darby is expected to peak in intensity in the next day or so, the NHC said, then begin a weakening trend by midweek.
No coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said in a tweet that Hurricane Darby has reached Category 4 in the eastern Pacific, but is “still a long way from Hawaii and looks likely to lose power as it heads our way.”
HI-EMA partners statewide are tuning up their systems, just in case, the agency said.
