Former Tropical Storm Darby dissipating southwest of Hawaii island
UPDATE: 5:30 p.m. SATURDAY
The remnants of former Tropical Storm Darby, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, was moving safely southwest of the Big Island and is not expected to affect weather on the rest of the state.
At 5 p.m. today, Darby’s remnants were 210 miles southwest of Hilo and 250 miles south of Honolulu. The storm, once a Category 3 hurricane in the East Pacific, was expected to dissipate by Sunday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Honolulu said, “Tropical Cyclone Darby is now southwest of the Big Island and will have very little impact on Hawaii’s weather. A drier than normal and breezy trade wind pattern is expected over the next few days. A more typical trade wind shower regime will return Tuesday night and hold in place through late next week.”
A high surf advisory for eastern Hawaiian islands shores remains in place, as does a high surf warning for all south shores for an unrelated swell from the South Pacific. A winds advisory for the summits of the Big Island and Haleakala on Maui has expired.
CPHC forecasters said they have issued their last advisory on Darby.
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11 a.m.
Tropical Storm Darby continues to weaken and is expected to become a tropical depression later today, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. The storm is forecast to become a post-tropical remnant low tonight before it dissipates on Sunday.
At 11 a.m., the center of Darby was 140 miles south of Hilo and about 295 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, traveling west at 22 mph. Darby is expected to continue on its current trajectory until it scatters on Sunday.
The storm is packing winds near 40 mph with higher gusts, and tropical storm-force winds extend up to 35 miles from its center.
Forecasters predict Darby might cause minor flooding with localized rainfall of 2 to 4 inches along windward areas of the Big Island.
Large swells are expected to affect portions of the islands over the weekend, including east shores of the Big Island.
A high surf advisory is still in effect for south facing shores of all islands, with a “historic” South Pacific swell bringing surf of 14 to 18 feet during today then rising to 18 to 24 feet tonight through Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.
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Tropical Storm Darby is expected to pass just south of Hawaii island today as it continues to weaken but still bring heavy rain and high surf to the island.
At 5 a.m., Darby was 190 miles southeast of Hilo, and 400 miles southeast of Honolulu, packing maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and moving west at a brisk 22 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu.
“Darby (is) expected to weaken into a post-tropical remnant low tonight before dissipating on Sunday,” forecasters said this morning.
Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 60 miles from Darby center.
The passing tropical storm will bring 2 to 4 inches of rain along portions of windward Big Island, leading to possible minor flooding especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas, forecasters said.
Darby is also generating large swells that will affect east shores of the Big Island, which are under a high surf advisory until 6 a.m. Sunday.
In addition, a separate, “historic” South Pacific swell is bringing massive surf to the south shores of all islands this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a high surf warning for all south shores until 6 a.m. Monday.
South shore surf is forecast to rise to 18 feet today, and rising to 18 to 24 feet tonight.
“Expect ocean water occasionally sweeping across portions of beaches, very strong breaking waves, and strong longshore and rip currents,” the weather service said. “Large breaking waves and strong currents may impact harbor entrances and channels causing challenging boat handling.”
The weather service has also issued:
>> A wind advisory for the summits of the Big Island and Haleakala on Maui with east to southeast winds increasing to 35 to 45 mph and gusts up to 55 mph. The advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. today.
>> A tropical storm warning for the offshore waters of all islands. Seas will climb to 8 to 12 feet tonight, down to 7 to 10 feet Sunday, and remain 6 to 7 feet until Wednesday.
>> A small craft advisory until 6 p.m. Sunday for Maalaea Bay, Pailolo Channel, Alenuihaha Channel, and Big Island leeward and southeast waters.
Beyond the Big Island today, weather service forecasters say the rest of the island will see” fairly typical trade wind weather … with passing windward showers and the occasional shower reaching leeward areas.”
They expect conditions to improve over the Big Island tonight, with relatively dry tradewinds statewide through Tuesday.