Tropical Storm Pena Moves West as Hawaii Faces Stronger Winds

Tropical Storm Pena continued its westward trajectory away from the Hawaiian Islands on Monday, according to a report from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

As of 5 a.m., the storm was positioned approximately 835 miles southwest of Honolulu. The system maintained maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph, a figure that remained unchanged from Monday’s readings. Pena is currently moving west at a speed of 12 mph and is expected to cross the International Date Line late this week.

While the center of the storm is receding, the storm’s physical footprint is expanding. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu reported that tropical-storm-force winds now extend outward up to 125 miles from Pena’s center, an increase from the 105-mile radius recorded on Monday.

The primary concern for residents is shifting from the storm itself to the atmospheric changes it is triggering. The National Weather Service in Honolulu stated that moderate to locally breezy tradewinds will strengthen tonight, leading to locally strong winds on Wednesday and Thursday as a new high-pressure system builds north of the state.

Forecasters have expressed increased confidence regarding these stronger winds. Advisory-level winds are possible beginning tonight, with specific areas facing higher risks.

Computer models suggest the Kohala mountains on the Big Island could experience warning-level winds by Wednesday. Forecasters noted that winds are expected to be strongest through mountain gaps and over ridges, particularly impacting Maui and the Big Island. The state forecast anticipates northeast winds of 15 to 30 mph on Wednesday, Veterans Day, for Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.

These wind conditions, combined with dropping humidity, have created a secondary hazard. Forecasters warned that fire weather conditions will remain near critical levels over the next several days, driven by the strengthening winds and humidity levels expected to drop near threshold values today and Wednesday.

Maritime conditions are also changing. A small craft advisory is set to expand to cover all Hawaiian coastal waters starting at 6 p.m. today, with the advisory extending until 6 a.m. Thursday.

Sea conditions are expected to fluctuate significantly over the coming days. The National Weather Service forecast indicates that seas will exceed 10 feet beginning Wednesday.

National weather service tracking tropical storm off gpk

While surf on north- and west-facing shores is expected to drop to small levels today, a much larger northwest swell is approaching. This swell, generated by a gale-force storm near Kamchatka, may bring warning-level surf to exposed north- and west-facing shores on Wednesday, peaking that night.

The following table outlines the projected surf and sea conditions based on National Weather Service forecasts:

Timeline	North/West-Facing Shores	East-Facing Shores	Sea Conditions
Monday	Small levels	Choppy (rising)	Varying
Wednesday	Warning-level swell (peaking at night)	Choppy	Exceeding 10 feet
Thursday	Advisory level	Choppy	Exceeding 10 feet
Friday	Below advisory level	Choppy	Varying
Weekend	Advisory levels (new swell)	Choppy	Varying

Showers are expected to remain concentrated in windward and mauka areas. Forecasters noted that more windward showers are expected late in the week as a band of moisture moves south across the state.

The transition from tropical storm influence to high-pressure wind patterns changes the immediate meteorological threat to the islands' infrastructure and natural resources.

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