Tag Archives: Honolulu

Hurricane Lane Turns Northwest, Warning Issued for Oahu

Hurricane Lane turned toward the northwest on Wednesday night and a Hurricane Warning was issued for Oahu.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Lane was located at latitude 15.9°N and longitude 156.5°W which put it about 385 miles (620 km) south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Lane was moving toward the northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 145 m.p.h. (230 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 170 m.p.h. (275 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 939 mb.

Hurricane Warnings were in effect for Oahu, Hawaii County and Maui County including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.  Hurricane Watches were in effect for Kauai County including Kauai and Nihhau.

Hurricane Lane weakened slightly on Wednesday but it remained a powerful hurricane.  There was a small eye at the center of circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Several bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lane.  Winds to hurricane force extended out about 40 miles (65 km) from the center of circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 140 miles (225 km) from the center.

The environment around Hurricane Lane will gradually become less favorable for a powerful hurricane.  Lane will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C.  An upper level trough west of Hawaii will produce southwesterly winds which will cause more vertical wind shear.  Hurricane Lane will gradually weaken, but it could remain a major hurricane for another 36 hours.

The upper level trough will turn Hurricane Lane more toward the north-northwest.  On its anticipated track the center of Hurricane Lane will move closer to Hawaii.  The center of Lane will be southwest of the Big Island of Hawaii in about 24 hours.  The center of Lane could be south of Oahu on Friday.  Even if the center of Hurricane Lane does not pass over any of the islands, wind blowing up the slopes of the mountains will contribute to locally heavy rain and the potential for flash floods.

Powerful Hurricane Lane Prompts Hurricane Watches for Hawaii

A potential threat from powerful Hurricane Lane prompted the Central Pacific Pacific Hurricane Center to issued Hurricane Watches for parts of Hawaii on Tuesday morning.  Hurricane Watches were issued for Hawaii County and Maui County including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.  At 11:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lane was located at latitude 14.1°N and longitude 152.3°W which put it about 620 miles (995 km) southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Lane was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 180 m.p.h. (290 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 950 mb.

The circulation of Hurricane Lane is very well organized.  There is a circular eye at the center of circulation and the eye is surrounded by a ring of strong thunderstorms.  The strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Several bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lane.  A NOAA P-3 aircraft encountered strong turbulence during a mission into Lane last night and the aircraft will be examined before it flies again.  Storms around the core of the circulation were generating strong upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the hurricane.

Hurricane Lane has a large symmetrical circulation.  Winds to hurricane force extended out about 40 miles (65 km) from the center of circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 240 miles (390 km) from the center.  The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane was 31.6.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 13.7 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 45.3.  Those indices indicate that Hurricane Lane was stronger and larger than Hurricane Dennis was when Dennis hit the northern Gulf Coast in 2005.

Hurricane Lane will move through an environment capable of supporting a major hurricane for another 24 to 48 hours.  Lane will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is between 27°C and 28°C.  It will move through an environment where the upper level winds are weak during the next 24 hours and there will be little vertical wind shear during that time period.  An upper level trough west of Hawaii will move closer to Hurricane Lane on Wednesday.  Southwesterly winds on the eastern side of the trough will increase the vertical wind shear.  Hurricane Lane is likely to weaken on Wednesday, but it could weaken slowly.

Hurricane Lane is moving around the western end of a subtropical ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The ridge has been steering Lane toward the west.  Hurricane Lane will turn more toward the northwest when it reaches the end of the ridge.  The upper level trough could steer Lane more toward the north on Thursday and Friday.  Guidance from forecast models has been trending toward a track closer to Hawaii and that prompted the issuance of Hurricane Watches for some of the Hawaiian Islands.

Major Hurricane Lane Churns Southeast of Hawaii

Major Hurricane Lane churned southeast of Hawaii on Monday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Lane was located at latitude 13.6°N and longitude 149.1°W which put it about 580 miles (930 km) southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.  Lane was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 150 m.p.h. (240 km/h).  Th minimum surface pressure was 964 mb.

There was a circular eye with a diameter of 16 miles (26 km) at the center of Hurricane Lane.  A ring of strong thunderstorms surrounded the eye and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms.  Several bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hurricane Lane.  Storms near the core were generating upper level divergence which was pumping mass away from the hurricane in all directions.

The circulation of Hurricane Lane was relatively compact.  Winds to hurricane force extended out about 30 miles (50 km) from the center of circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out about 125 miles (205 km) from the center.  The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Lane was 25.1.  The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 10.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) was 35.4.

Hurricane Lane will move through an environment during the next day or two that will allow it to maintain much of its intensity.  Lane will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 28°C.  It will move through an area where the upper level winds are relatively weak and there will not be a lot of vertical wind shear.  Hurricane Lane could remain a major hurricane for several more days.  An upper level trough will approach the hurricane from the west in 36 to 48 hours.  Stronger southwesterly winds ahead of the trough will increase vertical wind shear and Hurricane Lane will likely weaken later this week.

Hurricane Lane will move south of a subtropical ridge during the next 24 to 36 hours.  The ridge will steer Lane in a general westerly direction.  The upper level trough approaching from the west will turn Hurricane Lane more toward the northwest.  The timing and sharpness of the turn toward the northwest is still uncertain, but Hurricane Lane could move closer to the Hawaiian Islands during the middle of the week.

Hurricane Hector Passes South of Hawaii

Powerful Hurricane Hector passed south of Hawaii on Wednesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane Hector was located at latitude 16.7°N and longitude 156.8°W which put it about 325 miles (525 km) south-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.  Hector was moving toward the west at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 115 m.p.h. (185 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 135 m.p.h. (220 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 959 mb.

The circulation of Hurricane Hector remained circular and symmetrical.  Information from radar and satellites indicated that Hurricane Hector had a double eyewall structure.  There was a small inner eye surrounded by an inner eyewall.  The inner eyewall was thin and it appeared to be weakening.  A clear area, sometimes called a moat, surrounded the inner eyewall.  A second thicker eyewall surrounded the moat.  Several shorter bands of of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Hector.  The circulation of Hurricane Hector was relatively small.  Winds to hurricane force extended out about 35 miles (55 km) from the center of circulation.  Winds to tropical storm force only extended out about 95 miles (155 km) from the center.

Hurricane Hector exhibited a structure that is sometimes called an annular hurricane.  Annular hurricanes often achieve an equilibrium with their environment which can persist for days if there is not much wind shear.  Hector will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is between 27°C and 28°C.  It will move through a region where there is little vertical wind shear.  Hurricane Hector will remain a strong hurricane and it could strengthen during the next 24 to 48 hours, if the inner eyewall dissipates completely.

Hurricane Hector will move south of the subtropical high pressure system over the Central Pacific.  The high will steer Hector toward the west for several more days.  On its anticipated track Hurricane Hector will remain south of Hawaii.

Elsewhere over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean, Hurricane John weakened west of Baja California and Tropical Storm Kristy exhibited little change on Wednesday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Hurricane John was located at latitude 23.1°N and longitude 114.4°W which put it about 285 miles (460 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California.  John was moving toward the northwest at 16 m.p.h. (26 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 95 m.p.h. (155 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 983 mb.

At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday the center of Tropical Storm Kristy was located at latitude 15.3°N and longitude 130.0°W which put it about 1410 miles (2220 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Kristy was moving toward the northwest at 7 m.p.h. (11 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 1002 mb.