Tropical Storm Hone and Hurricane Gilma Both Approaching Hawaii

Two different named tropical weather events will move within a few hundred miles of the Hawaiian islands in a period of just one week, a rare occurrence despite the state's location in the tropics. How will these tropical weather makers impact vacation plans and everyday life on the islands? Read on for all of the details.

Tropical Storm Hone First on Deck to Impact Hawaii

Hawaii is bracing for a week of unsettled weather as what is currently a tropical storm and a hurricane skirt the islands. The first event will push to the south of the Big Island later this weekend while the second feature will track closely to the region by the end of the month. Both of these tropical weather events will usher in some degree of impact to Hawaii.

First up is Tropical Storm Hone, a feature that took on the necessary tropical characteristics to be defined as a named storm on Thursday. Hone will send strong winds and rough seas across parts of Hawaii beginning this weekend as the storm inches closer.

The precise track of the storm will determine how potent the winds over Hawaii become. Gusts of up to 60 mph are likely across the southernmost islands while top gusts of up to 80 mph are a possibility along the southern part of the Big Island. Winds of this power could topple trees and trigger power outages.

Hone showed a bit of weakening on Friday, however, forecasters are warning that the system is expected to pick up intensity and evolve into a hurricane for a time as it moves to the south of Hawaii in the days ahead.

The winds associated with Hone will also raise the risk of wildfires in Hawaii, particularly along the western and southern mountain slopes that do not typically see a lot of rain. This is reminiscent of last August when Hurricane Dora churned to the south of Hawaii and whipped up the winds that resulted in the deadly wildfires on Maui.

Tropical Storm Hone is forecast to produce widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches of rain throughout Hawaii. Higher accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are in the forecast for Maui and the Big Island. The windward side of the mountainous region of the Big Island could see rainfall of a foot or higher out of this system. This rain will certainly raise the risk of flash flooding and mudslides.