Akoni weakens to post-tropical cyclone as it nears Hawaii; Juliette weakens to a tropical storm
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
The 5-day forecast track for Hurricane Juliette.
CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER
The 5-day forecast track for post-tropical cyclone Akoni.
UPDATE: 5 p.m.
Tropical Storm Juliette continues to weaken this afternoon and is about 1,635 east of Hilo.
Juliette has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph. It is forecast to turn westward on Saturday and continue moving westward through early next week.
Steady weakening is expected to continue and Juliette will likely become a remnant low by Sunday.
11:30 a.m.
Juliette has weakened to a tropical storm from a hurricane as it continues heading away from Mexico.
Centered about 1,950 miles east of Hilo at 11 a.m., Juliette clocked in with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph while heading west-northwest at 13 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Additional weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, and Juliette is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low late Saturday or Sunday, the NHC said. A turn toward the west is forecast to occur on Saturday and a general westward motion should continue into early next week.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from Juliette’s center.
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Akoni weakened to a post-tropical remnant low overnight southeast of the islands and is no longer a tropical storm.
Clocking in with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, Akoni was centered around 690 miles south-southeast of Hilo and heading west at 16 mph at 5 a.m., according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Little change in strength or heading is forecast during the next couple of days, the CPHC said.
Meanwhile, in the East Pacific about 2,045 miles east of Hilo at 5 a.m., Hurricane Juliette continued to weaken, clocking in with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph while heading west-northwest at 12 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Additional weakening is expected during the next 48 hours, and Juliette is forecast to become a tropical storm later today and degenerate into a remnant low by Sunday, the NHC said. Juliette is expected to continue on its current heading for the next 24 hours and turn toward the west Saturday through early next week.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from Juliette’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.
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