Tropical Storm Pena Expected to Reach Hurricane Strength by Tuesday

Tropical Storm Pena is gathering energy in the Central Pacific and is on track to reach hurricane strength by Tuesday, passing well south of the Hawaiian Islands without posing a direct threat to land, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

Winds Forecast to Hit Hurricane Strength by Tuesday

As of 5 p.m., Pena was centered roughly 620 miles south-southeast of South Point on the Big Island. The system carried maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and moved west at a steady clip of 12 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 45 miles from the center, according to the hurricane center’s update.

Forecasters raised their intensity projections after computer models showed consistent agreement on the storm’s westward track. Sustained winds are projected to reach 60 mph by early Saturday, edge up to 70 mph by early Sunday, and cross the hurricane threshold at 75 mph by Tuesday. While current computer models vary between a strong tropical storm and a Category 2 hurricane at peak intensity, confidence in the offshore path remains high through the early part of the forecast period.

Tropical Storm Pena · 45 mph · Nov 7 #TropicalStormPena #TropicalStorm

Moisture Plume Brings Heavy Rains to Windward Areas

Even though the storm’s center will pass hundreds of miles to the south, its outer moisture plume has already made its presence felt. The National Weather Service in Honolulu reported that heavy rain dropped 2 to 5 inches across windward areas of the Big Island over a 24- to 30-hour window.

Cloudy and showery conditions are expected to linger through Saturday morning, primarily impacting Maui County and the Big Island. Meanwhile, breezy to strong tradewinds will persist through the weekend, reaching near gale force in the channels between the islands.

Tropical Storm Pena Expected to Reach Hurricane Strength by Tuesday

Marine Advisories Remain in Effect Across Island Waters

Rough seas and powerful winds continue to affect local mariners and coastal areas. A small craft advisory is active for all Hawaiian waters through 6 a.m. Northeast winds of about 23 to 35 mph and seas of 6 to 11 feet prompted a small craft advisory for all Hawaiian waters.

Coastal conditions remain active on the water-safety front. While surf along exposed north- and west-facing shores dropped below high surf advisory levels, prompting the cancellation of an earlier advisory, a new north-northwest swell is expected to push surf back up to advisory heights by Sunday morning.