Hurricane Hone is moving closer to Hawaii's Big Island as a Category 1 storm, bringing with it maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's latest advisory.
As of 5 a.m. HST (or 11 a.m. ET) on Sunday morning, the center of Hurricane Hone (pronounced hoe-NEH) was tracking westward and was roughly 115 miles southwest of Hilo, the capital city on Hawaii’s Big Island, and 240 miles southwest of the state’s capital city of Honolulu.
Meanwhile, roughly 1,415 miles away from Hilo, Hurricane Gilma ramped up to a Category 4 storm late Saturday night, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. As of 11 a.m. ET, Gilma is expected to remain a hurricane through early Tuesday, before weakening considerably through the end of the week, per NHC.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect in Hawaii County, as both storms are likely to bring rough seas and surf to the islands, posing potential dangers to surfers, swimmers and small boats in the coming days.
Where is Hurricane Hone now?
As of 11 a.m. EST on Sunday morning, Hone was heading west at around 8 mph, and will likely continue this motion through the middle of the week. The center of the storm reached its closest point of approach to the Big Island at around 10 a.m. ET, passing approximately 45 miles due south of South Point, according to the NHC.
Location: Around 115 miles southwest of Hilo, Hawaii and 240 miles southwest of Honolulu.
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph.
Present movement: Hone is moving west at 8 mph, which will continue through the middle of the week.
What are the watches and warnings?
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency on Saturday, allowing him to activate the National Guard and state disaster funds to expedite emergency response efforts if needed.
Hurricane warnings, tropical storm warnings and flash flood warnings remained in effect for Hawaii County as of 11 a.m. ET on Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service's Honolulu office.
Wind gusts of 40-60 mph are expected across the southernmost islands with possibly higher gusts of 60-80 mph across southern portions of the Big Island, according to AccuWeather.
Roughly 6-12 inches of rainfall is expected in southeast facing slopes of the Big Island on Sunday through Monday morning, per NHC, with 2-4 inches effecting the windward coasts of the smaller Hawaiian islands.
Closures and bus route cancellations
In a weekend weather update, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth urged residents to "take necessary precautions," warning of dangerous surf on the Big Island's eastern-facing shores.
Waipi'o Valley Access Road is closed and overnight camping at Whittington & Punalu'u Beach Parks is canceled, according to Hawaii County's Hazard Map. Hele-On Bus Service is also canceled through the weekend and emergency shelters have opened from Ka'ū to Hāmākua should people need it — including at Honokaa High School cafeteria, Waiakea High School gymnasium, Keaau High School library and others.
Visit Hawaii County's Hazard Map for up-to-date information on road closures, cancellations and emergency shelters.
What about Hurricane Gilda?
As of 5 a.m. ET Sunday morning (or 11 p.m. HST Saturday evening), Gilda was also moving west at 9 mph. It's expected to turn west-northwest at a slightly faster forwarding speed during the next several days, according to the NHC's latest advisory.
Location: Around 1,415 miles east of Hilo and roughly 1,560 miles west of the southern tip of Baja, Calif.
Maximum sustained winds: 125 mph
Present movement: West-Northwest at 9 mph
No coastal watches, warnings or hazards affecting land are currently in place for Hurricane Gilma, per the NHC.
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