Iselle has started hitting Hilo. At 2 p.m. Hurricane Iselle was located about 150 miles east-southeast of Hilo and was moving west-northwest at 17 miles per hour. It had maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, up slightly from the 11 a.m. update, with gusts of up to 90 miles per hour. Iselle remains a Category 1 hurricane. HURRICANE TRACKER Follow and explore hurricane and severe weather activity in Hawaii as well as anywhere else in the world. On the forecast track, Iselle will be moving over the Big Island tonight, and passing south of the smaller islands on Friday. Outer rain bands of Iselle have started to impact Big Island at around 11 a.m., according to the National Weather Service. Winds are already gusting to 40 mph. NWS said 60 to 75 mph winds, gusting to 85 mph -- associated with the eye of Iselle -- are forecast to reach the Big Island between 7 and 8 p.m. Weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Iselle may weaken to a tropical storm tonight. Hurricane force winds currently extend 35 miles from the center. Tropical storm force winds (39-74 mph) extend outward up to 140 miles. (Track Iselle and Julio with the Hawaii News Now Hurricane Tracker) The outer winds of the storm may be felt on the Big Island by Thursday afternoon, with hurricane conditions expected Thursday night. A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the Big Island, while a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Maui County, Oahu and Kauai. WIND...Conditions will steadily deteriorate over the Big Island this afternoon, with tropical storm conditions expected to arrive well before dark. Hurricane conditions are likely for portions of the Big Island tonight. Tropical storm conditions are expected over Maui county tonight, and for Oahu late tonight and Friday. Tropical storm conditions are expected for Kauai county later Friday. RAIN...Rainfall totals of 5 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts to 12 inches, are expected along the track of Iselle. These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods as well as rock and mud slides. SURF...Swells generated by Iselle will continue to build along east facing shores tonight. Very large, damaging surf is expected along mainly east and south shores starting early Thursday. STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide,.Big island windward and Kau, 1 to 2 ft. The highest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore flow. The surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves. Surge related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. The National Weather Service tweeted the following information Wednesday afternoon: Anticipated Iselle conditions for Hawaii County. Winds 60-70 mph, gusts to 85 mph. Rain 5-8+ inches, locally higher windward. Anticipated Iselle conditions for Maui County. Winds 45-55 mph, gusts to 65 mph. Rain 5-8+ inches, locally higher windward. Anticipated Iselle conditions for Oahu. Winds 40-50 mph, gusts to 55+ mph. Rain 4-7+ inches, locally higher windward. Anticipated Iselle conditions for Kauai. Winds 35-45 mph, gusts to 50+ mph. Rain 4-7+ inches, locally higher windward. Onset of Iselle tropical storm force winds on Big Island is 4 p.m. Thursday. Onset of Iselle tropical storm force winds on Maui is 9 p.m. Thursday. Onset of Iselle tropical storm force winds (39+ mph) on Oahu is 6 a.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Friday for Kauai. As it passes south, the closest approach of Iselle to Honolulu is forecast to be 9 a.m. Friday. Forecasters and emergency management officials say you should prepare now for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, power outages, large surf and coastal surges. Iselle is the ninth named tropical cyclone in the Eastern Pacific this hurricane season. We are only two months into the six month season, which runs through November 30. Stay tuned for the latest forecasts and check out our HNN Hurricane page and Interactive Radar. You can also get the latest Iselle updates on your mobile phone click HERE or search the app/play store for Hawaii News Now Weather. We also have the latest Iselle track and graphics on our mobile news app, just click on the weather tab. Here are some tips from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center when a hurricane or tropical storm threatens... Secure loose outdoor objects that might be blown away by high winds, and become flying debris. Boats should be moored securely, or moved to a designated safe area well before the storm arrives. Windows should be boarded up. Larger windows may be broken by wind pressure, while smaller windows are mainly damaged by wind driven debris. If evacuation is required, be sure to take your disaster supply kit when leaving for a designated shelter. Keep in mind that evacuation routes may become flooded or cut off, even before the full force of the tropical cyclone arrives.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 00:20:15 +0000
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