AccuWeather.com is reporting that Hurricane Iselle will weaken before reaching Hawaii later this week, but the Aloha State won't be completely unscathed as heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas are still expected to affect the islands.
Although currently a powerful Category 3 hurricane, AccuWeather meteorologists expect Iselle to weaken considerably over the next several days and become a tropical storm before reaching the islands. Iselle will be moving into a wedge of cool water just east of the Hawaiian Islands.
However, even as a tropical storm, Iselle will still pack a punch. Heavy rain, gusty winds and building seas and surf will affect the islands during the second half of the week. There is a possibility of isolated incidents of flash flooding, mudslides and damaging wind gusts. Also, Mike Smith, senior vice president of AccuWeather Enterprise Solutions, warns of potential power failures, especially in Honolulu.
Inexperienced bathers, boarders and boaters should exercise extreme caution in the waters from midweek on as waves will build in strength and number, even as the system weakens while approaching the islands. Visitors and residents alike should check the conditions throughout the week as the approaching storm may cause rough surf and rip currents.
The Big Island will be the first to feel the impacts from Iselle as it is forecast to reach the island by Thursday night, local time. At present track, the Big Island will take a direct hit from the storm before passing just south of the smaller islands, such as Maui or Oahu. Due to the projected track of the storm, areas on the northern and eastern portions of the islands will likely feel greater effects than the southern and western sides. However, if the projected path of the storm shifts, so would the areas expected to feel the highest impacts.
If the storm track was to shift slightly farther to the north, a west wind would direct moisture toward parts of the islands that normally do not receive much rainfall. In such a scenario, these normally very dry locations could be hit with flash flooding. A direct hit on the islands does not have to occur for significant impact as the storm is much larger than a single point of latitude and longitude.
And tropical threat for Hawaii will not end with Iselle.
Tropical Storm Julio is also churning over the eastern Pacific and is forecast to become a hurricane and track towards the Hawaiian Islands right on the heels of Iselle. AccuWeather meteorologists believe that this storm will approach the chain of islands late in the weekend or early next week. However, the exact track that it will take remains uncertain. It is possible that the impacts of Julio could be greater than those of Iselle, especially if it tracks just to the north of the islands.
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