Tropical Storm Olaf, the 15th named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed Friday afternoon about 1,950 miles southeast of the Big Island.
Tropical Storm Olaf, the 15th named storm of the 2015 Eastern Pacific hurricane season, formed Friday afternoon about 1,950 miles southeast of the Big Island.
National Hurricane Center forecasters said Friday evening that the storm was circulating 40 mph winds and tracking west at 14 mph. Tropical storm-force winds extended outward from the center of the storm up to 35 miles.
Olaf is expected to continue strengthening through the weekend as it moves over warm water and encounters little wind shear. It’s expected to reach hurricane strength early Sunday, forecasters said. By Monday evening, Olaf is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane packing 110 mph winds about 1,070 miles southeast of the Big Island.
Forecasters cautioned, however, that “it would not be surprising to see more strengthening than is currently forecast.” Olaf could become a major hurricane, according to some forecast models. A major hurricane features minimum sustained winds of 111 mph.
On Sunday, models indicate that Olaf will begin making a turn toward the north far east of the Hawaiian Islands. By Tuesday, the hurricane is expected to be circulating 105 mph winds about 900 miles east of Hilo.
Farther east in Eastern Pacific, forecasters expect an area of low pressure to form and develop into tropical depression next week several hundred miles south or southwest of the Gulf of Tehuanatepec. There was a 70 percent chance of a tropical depression forming within five days.
In the Central Pacific, which is where Hawaii is located, no tropical cyclones are expected to form within the next 48 hours. The remnants of former-Tropical Depression Nora were located about 200 miles south of Hilo as of Friday morning, according to Central Pacific Hurricane Center meteorologists.
Though the system was declared dissipated Friday afternoon, moisture from the former tropical cyclone is still expected to impact windward areas of the Big Island through Saturday afternoon. Conditions are expected to improve Monday, forecasters said.
The Central and Eastern Pacific hurricane seasons continue 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.