Ulika weakens back to tropical storm status
Ulika weakened into a tropical storm overnight, should continue weakening through Friday and will likely be a tropical remnant when it approaches Hawaii next week.
What’s left of the system could bring increased humidity and rain to the state, but forecasters said it is still too early to say exactly how it will affect Hawaii’s weather.
As of 5 a.m. today, Ulika’s maximum sustained winds slowed to to 70 mph, down from 75 mph Tuesday night. Ulika was about 1,140 miles east-southeast of Hilo moving north-northeast at 7 mph.
Ulika should encounter wind shear and cooler ocean temperatures, which should weaken it into a tropical depression on Friday.
The storm is moving north and east, away from Hawaii, but it is expected to turn more to the north today and as it weakens, will be pushed to the west — toward the state — by tradewinds.
Its exact path is uncertain because it is so far away.
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Because the storm formed in the Central Pacific, it got the Hawaiian name of Ulika, which means soft and sticky, according to the Hawaiian-English dictionary.
Ulika is the first named storm in the Central Pacific this hurricane season.
Since Ulika formed Monday night, the storm moved back into the East Pacific.
4 responses to “Ulika weakens back to tropical storm status”
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“Hawaiian name of Ulika, which means soft and sticky”…..Ewwwwwwww pervs!
Stock up on sticky rice.
More rain. For those who have grass like me it sucks. I’m cutting just about every week. It’s almost like I can sit and watch it grow.
Iniki and Iwa had Hawaiian names. Watch out for coincidences.