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Hurricane Darby weakens as it moves south of Hawaiʻi Island

Hurricane Darby was about 850 miles from Hilo on Thursday afternoon, July 13, 2022.
National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration
Hurricane Darby was about 850 miles from Hilo on Thursday afternoon, July 14, 2022.

Hurricane Darby is expected to weaken over the next two days as it moves south of the Big Island.

Darby, which was about 850 miles east of Hilo on Thursday afternoon, will weaken into a tropical storm as it moves south of the state on Saturday.

Forecasters said the storm, which had about 100 mph winds on Thursday, will rapidly lose power over the next 48 hours before becoming a post-tropical cyclone by Sunday.

There is no expected impact on land. There is a high surf advisory — waves 7 to 10 ft. — for south-facing shores until 6 p.m. Thursday.

The National Weather Service said Darby was a small storm with hurricane-force winds extending 15 miles from the cyclone's eye and tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 45 miles out.

NOAA/NWS

Breezy tradewinds will bring clouds and showers to windward and mauka areas through Friday, the National Weather Services reports.

"As the remnants of Hurricane Darby pass south of the area, locally strong trades will focus heavier showers over Windward Big Island and possibly Maui on Saturday," the NWS said.

The annual National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outlook predicted between two and four storms in the region for the year with a 60% chance of a below-average season.

The Central Pacific sees about four or five tropical cyclones on average annually and its season goes from June 1 until the end of November.

Officials said below-average sea temperatures associated with La Niña east of Hawaii are a factor.

La Niña is a natural cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that alters weather patterns around the globe. The opposite El Niño pattern creates above-average ocean temperatures and has been present during some of the most active Pacific hurricane seasons, including in 2015 when there were 16 storms in the region.

Sophia McCullough is a digital news producer. Contact her at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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