After a record-setting week at the rain gauge, Hawaii County can expect to receive more rainfall in the next few days as Tropical Storm Madeline nears the Big Island.
After a record-setting week at the rain gauge, Hawaii County can expect to receive more rainfall in the next few days as Tropical Storm Madeline nears the Big Island.
The current forecast track has the storm passing south of Ka‘u on Wednesday night. As of 5 p.m. on Sunday, Madeline was 800 miles east of Hilo, moving at 9 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour. Winds extend 70 miles out from the storm’s center.
Madeline is expected to strengthen through today and begin weakening into Tuesday.
“It should be moving through quickly,” National Weather Service forecaster Henry Lau said. “It has a good pace, more like a hit and run.”
“Anything can change, so we just hope that it stays on this forecast track,” Lau said. Unlike the storm track of Tropical Storm Darby, which was difficult for meteorologists to pinpoint, Madeline’s path is “pretty stable.”
The current track does not have Madeline making landfall. Though Big Island will see most of the precipitation and high winds from the system, Maui County may also be affected.
Swells from the tropical storm will arrive before the storm itself, with winds and rainfall increasing in turn.
“There could be high surf on east-facing side as early as Tuesday night,” Lau said.
On Sunday, Hawaii County Civil Defense began advising residents to be “storm ready.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.