HURRICANE REPORT....6.30 PM Tuesday Hurricane Iselle is weakening. The eye is not as apparent and the storm is not as symmetrical as it was 24 hours ago. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Julio is strengthening. However both are still forecast to be tropical storms near Hawaii. The Big Island could see the effects beginning Thursday afternoon with tropical storm force winds at 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph and five to eight inches of rain. Some areas could see more of both, for instance valley and mountains. Iselle could bring heavy rains and gusty winds to all islands Thursday afternoon and Friday. For Julio, even though its strengthening into a hurricane, it should drop back down to tropical storm strength near the islands. Within the last 24 hours, the track has shifted north, which is good. But the islands are still in the forecast cone, so we still have to watch Julio. Since Hurricane Iniki hit Kauai in 1992, the islands have seen some near misses when it comes to hurricanes. Some hurricanes have come close, others have broken apart before reaching the state. With Hurricane Iselle, there is a good chance of a direct hit to the Big Island as a tropical storm. If a direct hit, it would be the first named tropical cyclone to move over the islands in 21 years.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 06:46:20 +0000