David Y. Ige

HONOLULU — National Weather Service (NWS) briefed Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), local emergency management and civil defense agencies, and federal and state partners on the favorable change in Hurricane Ignacio’s intensity and track this morning.

Overnight, Ignacio was downgraded from a Category 3 to a Category 2 hurricane. As of 5:00 a.m., the storm’s center was located 335 miles east of Hana, moving northwest at 10 mph. There is less than 20 percent chance of tropical storm force winds impacting Hawaii Island and Maui, and both islands have been lifted out of a Tropical Storm Watch.

Although Ignacio will continue moving away from the state, it will continue to impact surf statewide through Tuesday. High Surf Warnings remain in effect for Hawaii Island and Maui along east and southeast facing shores, with surf heights reaching 12 to 20 feet. A High Surf Advisory has been posted for Oahu and Kauai, whose east facing shores may experience wave heights of ten to 15 feet.

Breezy to gusty wind conditions are expected as Ignacio’s center passes by the state. There may also be heavy rainfall and isolated thunderstorms through Wednesday as a moist air mass lingers over the islands following Ignacio’s departure.

“We thank our partners for their flexibility and willingness to commit time and resources toward preparing our state for events such as Ignacio, however, we aren’t in the clear just yet” said Doug Mayne, Administrator of Emergency Management. “With Hurricane Jimena in our backyard, coordination and readiness efforts are as important as ever. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and assess potential impacts as the system moves into the central Pacific.”

Jimena remains an extremely powerful Category 4 hurricane. Forecasts show Jimena slowing down significantly as it reaches the central Pacific, and is expected to weaken to Category 1 status by Saturday.

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