Some additional strengthening is possible through tonight, followed by slow weakening.
With hurricane force winds extending 30 miles (45 km) from its center, waves as high as 20 feet (4 meters) could be expected on Sunday and Monday, along with sustained winds of 39 miles per hour (63 kph), he said. For updated forecasts and local effects to Hawaii, visit the CPHC website: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc.
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center, based in Honolulu, has maintained a tropical storm watch for Hawaii County and all islands in Maui County. It’s presently a Class four system (on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale) with sustained winds of 210 to 220km/h. Ignacio is expected to slowly strengthen through late Saturday, August 29 and peak at 110 miles per hour (177 kph).
Ignacio is expected to weaken through Tuesday.
LOCATION: Ignacio is 355 miles east of Hilo and is moving northwest at 12 mph. With the new track, stormy weather won’t hit the Big Island until Monday night and Maui Tuesday. “Everyone should continue to monitor the progress of Ignacio during the next several days”, the National Weather Service told The Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Meanwhile, an astronaut aboard the global Space Station, @Astro_Kimiya, captured some wonderful images of the eye of Jimena. It’s about 1,250 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.
Currently, much further to the east lies Hurricane Jimena, another category 4 storm.
The opposite is true in the Atlantic basin, since wind shear tends to increase in a moderate to strong El Nino, particularly in the Caribbean Sea.
Jimena’s estimated minimum central pressure is 947 millibars.
And Hurricane Kilo, 360 miles west-northwest of Johnston Atoll at 9 a.m., is forecast to peak at what would be considered super-typhoon strength in the western Pacific, but is not due to affect any land masses. Kilo (left), Ignacio (center) and Jimena (right).
The larger eye suggests that eyewall replacement could now be complete, and this is likely the reason why the hurricane has begun to re-intensify.