Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center of the system.
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Forecasters are urging Hawaii residents to keep a close eye on Tropical Storm Darby as the cyclone churns closer to the state.
Tropical Storm Darby is now 645 miles east of Hilo and is moving toward the west-southwest near 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 miles per hour with higher gusts.
“Although Darby is now forecast to make a turn before reaching the islands, the placement and timing of this turn is still very uncertain”, said Robert Ballard, meteorologist with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Darby is expected to move into the Central Pacific later on July 20. Slight strengthening is forecast over the next 48 hours. A slew of tropical storms in the Eastern Pacific are tracking westward and are predicted to bring solid swell to the Hawaiian Islands and North American West Coast.
On July 21, 2016 at 1125 UTC (7:25 a.m. EST) the MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite saw coldest cloud top temperatures between minus 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit/ minus 51.2 to minus 56.6 degrees Celsius indicating strong storms remained north of Darby’s center. With no big changes in the environment, little change in intensity is expected for the next few days.
Interests in the Hawaiian islands should monitor the progress of Darby.
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In addition, the hazards of a tropical cyclone can extend over a broad area well away from the center.
