Hurricane Hilda continued to weaken and lose its forward speed Sunday, and the forecast track shifted south over the Big Island. The cyclone is forecast to bring 30-35 mph winds late Thursday and Friday.
High surf ahead of the system was expected to reach the island beginning Sunday night.
The long-range forecast from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center has room for significant error, and forecasters and emergency managers stress that residents should prepare for weather impacts and stay updated — while not fixating on a forecast track that can vary by hundreds of miles.
Sunday evening, Hilda was a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds, located 540 miles east-southeast of the Big Island, traveling west-northwest at 8 mph. Hurricane force winds extended 25 miles from the center, with tropical storm force winds reaching out up to 70 miles.
Hilda’s winds were projected to weaken to 65 mph by Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for east-facing shore effective until Wednesday. Swell from 6 to 10 feet may begin impacting shores starting Sunday night.
By Tuesday, steering currents are expected to weaken, and Hilda will take a more westerly track toward the islands, according to forecasts. The weakening system will fall more under the influence of the trade winds and drift west, rather than taking the more northerly course that a stronger system would follow, forecasters say. Hilda will be headed into a hostile environment of increasing wind shear over the next few days, with the conflicting currents and speeds of the wind in the atmosphere expected to shred the cyclone’s structure.
U.S. Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” were set to fly into Hilda Sunday evening to more accurately measure the storm’s strength and track.