Tropical Storm Darby shifted course upon entering the Central Pacific basin earlier this week, moving on a track closer to the Hawaiian Islands and prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tropical storm watch for the Big Island.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the storm was about 500 miles east of Hilo and moving west-southwest toward the Hawaiian archipelago, with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. Tropical force winds extended outward up to 105 miles from Darby’s center.
Showers are expected to increase on the windward side of the Big Island today, with a possibility of evening thunderstorms. Tropical storm force winds also are expected by evening.
“A little bit north or a little bit south is going to greatly impact the (eventual) track,” NWS meteorologist Leigh Anne Eaton said Thursday. “Right now, we’ve still got it continuing on this westward track and … around Saturday, start to shift more toward the northwest.”
The sharp northward shift is a “rather unusual track for a tropical cyclone in the central Pacific,” according to a morning forecast from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu.
“There is a greater than normal amount of uncertainty to the forecast,” the hurricane center said.
“We also want to stress that you don’t want to focus in too much on that very skinny tracking line,” Eaton said. “All of the islands are in the cone (of uncertainty).”
A tropical storm watch also is in effect for Maui County.
National Weather Service models show a 64 percent probability of tropical storm force winds affecting Hilo in the next five days.
Darby is not expected to increase to hurricane strength, but Eaton stressed that tropical storm force winds still can cause damage.
“Even with tropical storms you can still see devastating impact from the (high) surf and rainfall,” she said.
Flash flooding also is a major concern during the storms.
“We really advise people to get their houses in order now, go over their plans,” Eaton said. “Hopefully, everybody has a … preparedness plan in place.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
