Tropical Storm Akoni has formed in the Central Pacific but is still a “very disorganized” storm, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Akoni was about 835 miles southeast of Hilo with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and higher gusts.
Forecasters from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said the storm is moving west at almost 9 mph, and that movement was expected to continue with some increase in forward speed during the next few days.
Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center.
On Thursday, the storm was forecast to track south of the Hawaiian Islands.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Pacific, Hurricane Juliette is forecast to continue weakening throughout the coming days and expected to become a tropical storm by tonight, eventually degenerating to a remnant low on Sunday. No landfall is expected.
By 5 p.m. Thursday, Juliette was located about 765 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and higher gusts, according to forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The center of the storm was 2,150 miles east of Hilo.
The storm was moving northwest at 13 mph, and a motion to the west-northwest was expected to begin Thursday night or early today.
A westward turn is forecast Saturday, which should continue through the weekend.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles.
In Hawaii, the National Weather Service in Honolulu said breezy trade winds are expected to continue into early next week. A drier and more stable air mass will move across the state for the weekend.
Email Stephanie Salmons at ssalmons@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
