Jimena, hampered by cooler water temperatures and westerly shear, weakened to a tropical storm Saturday.
Jimena, hampered by cooler water temperatures and westerly shear, weakened to a tropical storm Saturday.
The storm was moving over 79.7-degree waters and encountering west-southwesterly shear that was Central Pacific Hurricane Center forecasters said should steadily weaken the former Category 4 hurricane to a depression next week. Typically, ocean surface water temperatures greater than 80 degrees are required to form, as well as maintain, tropical cyclones.
Packing 85 mph winds as of Saturday evening, Jimena was located 600 miles east-northeast of Kailua-Kona and moving toward the north-northwest at 8 mph. Tropical storm-force winds extended more than 200 miles from the center of Jimena.
The tropical storm is forecast to continue tracking northwest through Sunday before making a westward turn Monday. Tuesday, Jimena is expected to shift slightly to the south, bringing it closer to the western half of the state. Wednesday afternoon, Jimena is likely to be a depression packing 35 mph winds about 400 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona.
High surf fueled by Jimena will continue to pound Big Island’s shores in the coming days. A high surf warning for east-facing shores and a high surf advisory for south-facing shores remains in effect until 6 p.m. Monday. Forecasters called for 10- to 18-foot waves along east-facing shores and 5- to 8-foot waves along south-facing shores on Sunday.
In the Eastern Pacific, Tropical Depression 15-E formed Saturday afternoon about 450 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The depression, as of 5 p.m., was circulating 35 mph winds and moving toward the northwest at 10 mph. Fifteen-E is expected to be upgraded to a tropical storm, at which point it will be named Linda, on Sunday, and to a hurricane on Monday.
Current forecast models show the storm remaining several hundred miles offshore and moving up the Mexico coast and peaking early next week as a Category 1 hurricane packing 75 mph before starting to weaken by the middle of next week.
Elsewhere, no tropical cyclones are expected to form through Monday afternoon, forecasters said.
The Central North and Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons run through Nov. 30.
Get more hurricane-related content, including preparation tips, evacuation info and daily tropical weather updates, on our hurricane season page, sponsored by Clark Realty, at www.westhawaiitoday.com/hurricane-season-2015.