Felicia rapidly weakened Sunday, but remained a Category 2 hurricane Sunday evening far east-southeast of Hawaii.
Felicia rapidly weakened Sunday, but remained a Category 2 hurricane Sunday evening far east-southeast of Hawaii.
The hurricane recorded 110 mph winds as it churned west-northwest at 12 mph, according to Miami-based National Hurricane Center forecasters. As of 5 p.m., it was located more than 1,650 miles east-southeast of the Big Island.
The storm is forecast to encounter cooler waters, which should continue to take a toll on Felicia over the next couple of days by gradually eroding the deep convection, forecasters said. By Monday night, the storm should be a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds. By Tuesday evening, increasing northwesterly shear should help to inject dry and stable air into what remains of the core of the cyclone, reducing it to a tropical storm. It’s expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression on Wednesday and pass south of the state.
The National Weather Service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Warning Center predicted a below-average hurricane season this year.
Two to five tropical cyclones — a category that includes depressions, storms and hurricanes — were expected to pass through the basin this year. The 2021 season started June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, though tropical cyclones have formed outside that period.
