Tropical Storm Keli forms and is second cyclone now in central Pacific Ocean
Share this @internewscast.com

HONOLULU (AP) — Two tropical cyclones were moving across the ocean southeast of Hawaii as they formed on Monday, but they are not anticipated to affect the islands.

Hurricane Iona is the first storm to be named in the central Pacific’s hurricane season, transforming from a tropical depression into a Category 1 hurricane by Sunday. It was heading westward over the warm, open waters.

“We have a high level of confidence that it will not directly impact the islands,” stated Derek Wroe from the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

The hurricane is centered well south of Hawaii and an indirect impact will be downward pressure winds from the hurricane, creating dry and breezy conditions.

“There’s a lot of upward motion in the hurricane and then there’s usually compensating downward motion,” Wroe said. “That should be the case here as well. So it will be dry, it will be breezy.”

Those were the conditions that were prevalent when Hurricane Dora also passed well south of the islands in August 2023, and the associated winds led to the conditions that exacerbated the deadliest fire in the U.S. in over a century.

The blaze raced through the historic town of Lahaina and resulted in the deaths of 102 people.

He said there are concerns that conditions with Hurricane Iona could be at or near red flag criteria.

“That said … wouldn’t be anything close to what we saw during that time with Hurricane Dora. The situation is just not that strong,” he said.

The pressure gradient created by Hurricane Dora created gusts that clocked in at 50 mph (80 kph) in central Maui and well over 60 mph (96 kph) on the Big Island. There were no instruments in West Maui two years ago to measure wind.

“We don’t expect anything even close to that,” he said, with possible localized gusts of over 40 mph (64 kph) with winds running around 20 mph (32 kph).

On Monday, Iona was about 810 miles (1,303 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect. Iona is expected to strengthen and become a major hurricane Tuesday before weakening around the middle of the week.

The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph (137 kph). It was moving in a generally westward direction at about 13 mph (21 kph).

A second weather system also formed. Tropical Storm Keli had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph).

It was about 1,030 miles (1,658 kilometers) southeast of Honolulu and was moving west at about 12 mph (19 kph). It may strengthen over the next day but, like Iona, should lose power around the middle of the week.

Wroe said he didn’t expect any direct impact from this storm on Hawaii either.

The administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency on Monday hosted a statewide conference call with all counties, during which the National Weather Service provided an assessment and status of the storms.

“All counties are monitoring,” agency spokesperson Kiele Amundson said in an email.

Another indirect impact from these storms could be swells, but Wroe said they are relatively small and moving westward and won’t create anything significant.

However, a large swell is headed toward Hawaii after being generated several hundred miles east of New Zealand.

It’s expected to arrive in Hawaii about Thursday, about the same time the storms pass the state.

“People might wrongly attribute the swell energy to be from these tropical systems, but they’re actually not,” he said.

He anticipates high surf advisory to be issued for the south shores of the Hawaiian Islands, with a surf of 10 feet (3 meters) or higher.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Mugshot of Austin Drummond.

Alleged Quadruple Murderer Austin Drummond Unusually Asserts He Was an FBI Informant Whose Cover Was Blown and Claims Innocence in Family Slayings

THE man accused of killing four people he says he considered to…
Video of suspected 'honor killing' plot resurfaces as parents stand trial for attempted murder

Teen Confronts Parents at Sentencing Over Alleged ‘Honor Killing’ Plot Captured on Video

A teenager miraculously survived an alleged “honor killing” attempt by her parents…
Menendez brothers face parole hearings after decades in prison for parents' 1989 murders

Menendez Brothers to Attend Parole Hearings Years After Serving Time for 1989 Parental Murders

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Menendez brothers are set to present their…
FTC sues LA Fitness operators for 'exceedingly difficult' gym cancellation policies

FTC Takes Legal Action Against LA Fitness Operators Over Challenging Gym Cancellation Practices

The Federal Trade Commission in the U.S. is taking legal action against…
Jeanine Pirro says people who carry rifles, shotguns in DC will no longer face felony charges

Jeanine Pirro Claims Possessing Rifles and Shotguns in DC Won’t Be a Felony Anymore

Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have decided to stop pursuing felony charges…
Orland Park family campaigns for Food and Drug Administration over approval of drug to treat Barth syndrome, rare genetic disease

Orland Park Family Advocates for FDA Approval of Drug to Treat Barth Syndrome, a Rare Genetic Disease

A baby boy in the Chicago vicinity is contending with a rare…

Officials Confirm Travis Decker’s DNA Was the Sole Evidence Found at Scene of Daughters’ Deaths

(NewsNation) — Officials in Washington state have announced that the only DNA…
NYPD welcomes nearly 1,100 recruits to academy – largest class in almost a decade

NYPD Enrolls Largest Academy Class in Nearly a Decade with Nearly 1,100 New Recruits

The NYPD has recently welcomed approximately 1,100 new recruits to its police…
World Boxing to require sex testing for women's division

World Boxing to Implement Gender Verification for Women’s Competitions

The tests identify the presence or absence of Y chromosome genetic material…
Judge Frank Caprio smiling in his courtroom.

Renowned ‘America’s Nicest Judge’ Frank Caprio Passes Away at 88 Following Cancer-Related Health Challenges

BELOVED Justice Frank Caprio, who became a social media sensation as the…
Kentucky judge killed in chambers accused of trading sexual favors for influence at wild parties

Kentucky Judge Found Dead in Chambers Amid Allegations of Trading Favors for Influence at Extravagant Parties

In rural Kentucky, a judge allegedly shot in his office last year…
FBI arrests Sean Gardner, ex-coach at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute for US Olympics in Iowa, years after abuse reports

Former Chow’s Gymnastics Coach Sean Gardner Arrested by FBI for Olympic Athlete Abuse Allegations in Iowa

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Just as the U.S. gymnastics community was regaining…