TROPICAL STORM FELICIA 480 MILES EAST OF HILO, WINDS 50 MPH

(UPDATED 2 p.m. HST Sunday August, 9 2009 by Wendy Osher)

TROPICAL STORM FELICIA INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 25A

(Click to Enlarge image. Water vapor satellite image courtesy NOAA & The National Hurricane Center.)

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center has maintained Felicia’s strength as a Tropical Storm. At 2 p.m., the system was located about 480 miles East of Hilo Hawaii and about 655 miles East of Honolulu Hawaii (Latitude 21.1 North and Longitude 148.0 West).

Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast for the next couple of days. Felicia could still reach the Hawaiian Islands as either a tropical depression or a tropical storm.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the Big Island of Hawaii and for all of Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai.

Felicia is moving toward the west near 14 mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. The center of Felicia is expected to be near, or over the Hawaiian Islands by late Monday or early Tuesday.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 120 miles, mainly to the north of the center.

Maximum Central Pressure reported by Aircraft is 1002 mb or 29.59 inches.

Even though Felicia is still East of the Hawaiian Islands this morning, a building swell generated by the tropical cyclone will begin to impact east facing shores of the Eastern Hawaiian Islands later today. Large surf is expected to spread to east facing shores of all islands tonight and Monday.

SUMMARY OF 200 PM HST INFORMATION:
LOCATION…21.1N 148.0W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…50 MPH
PRESENT MOVEMENT…WEST OR 280 DEGREES AT 14 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1002 MB

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER AT 500 PM HST.

(Updated @ 2 p.m. HST Sunday, August 9, 2009 by Wendy Osher, Information courtesy FORECASTER KODAMA with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center)