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 this morning on changes in Tropical Depression Kilo’s intensity and track.

As of 11:00 a.m., Kilo was located about 660 miles southwest of Lihue and moving toward the northwest at 7 mph. Kilo is currently moving away from the main Hawaiian Islands, but it is expected to intensify to hurricane strength toward the end of the week, as models show wind shear weakening.

“We are grateful to all of our partners at the local, state and federal levels who have continued to coordinate emergency management and disaster preparedness efforts in Kilo’s wake,” said Vern Miyagi, Executive Officer of HI-EMA.  “Although Kilo appears to be turning away from the state, its track and strength have been highly unstable. We urge the public to continue their ongoing preparations for what remains to be an extremely active hurricane season.”

Due to a very moist air mass affecting the entire state, not necessarily associated with Kilo, the public should be prepared to endure continued potential for torrential rains and isolated thunderstorms as the week goes on. High surf will also impact west facing shores Wednesday through Friday due to a typhoon in the west Pacific.

The National Hurricane Center is currently monitoring two tropical disturbances in the eastern Pacific. Forecasters predict an 80 percent chance for development into a tropical cyclone and believe that one of the disturbances will cross into the central Pacific sometime on Thursday.

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