Forecasters say Tropical Depression 3-C, which formed Thursday far southeast of the Big Island, could reach hurricane strength this weekend.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the weather system was located 670 miles south-southeast of Kailua-Kona, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Circulating 35 mph winds, the sixth tropical cyclone of the 2015 Central Pacific hurricane season, is tracking west at 16 mph over warm water and weakening shear.
The depression is expected to steadily strengthen, and could reach hurricane strength Saturday, forecasters said. Once it reaches tropical storm strength, which is expected to occur Friday morning, the storm will be named Kilo.
On its current forecast track, which has some level of uncertainty, the depression is expected to travel south of the Big Island as a tropical storm Friday into Saturday. It’s then expected to reach hurricane strength Saturday morning before it begins to take a turn Sunday toward the north or northwest, steered by a weakening ridge above the state. It could impact Kauai and Niihau Tuesday.
Forecasters cautioned, however, that the time of the turn will “depend greatly on when the weakness in the ridge occurs. The longer it takes, the farther west the cyclone will move before making the turn, and this aspect of the forecast contains a high amount of uncertainty.”
The center said the U.S. Air Force 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron is being deployed to Hawaii. An initial pass through the storm is slated Friday evening.
In addition to 3-C, a second tropical depression formed Thursday far west of the islands, forecasters said. Tropical Depression 4-C featured maximum sustained winds of 35 mph and was located 1,450 miles south-southwest of Kailua-Kona as of 5 p.m. Forecasters expect the storm to continue strengthening during the coming few days as it moves north at 5 mph.
The Honolulu-based forecasters Thursday were also monitoring a disturbance about 1,300 west-southwest of Honolulu that could see some development during the next couple of days, as well as an area of low pressure about 975 miles south-southwest of Honolulu that is not expected to see development.
Elsewhere in the Central North Pacific basin, no tropical cyclones are expected through Saturday afternoon.
In the Eastern Pacific, forecasters were keeping tabs two areas of disturbed weather. The first, located 1,000 miles southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, was producing disorganized showers and a few thunderstorms. Gradual development of the system is forecast during the coming days as it tracks west at 10 mph. The second was a low pressure area forecast to form several hundred miles south of Mexico early next week. Forecasters said the weather system could see some development in the coming days.
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