Hone was a tropical storm in the North Pacific early Saturday morning (Hawaii time), the National Hurricane Center said in its latest warning.
The tropical storm had sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.
Where will it rain?
Flash flooding can also occur inland and away from the storm center. Even weaker storms can produce excessive rainfall that can flood low-lying areas.
What does the storm look like from above?
Satellite imagery can help determine the strength, size and composition of a storm. As a storm gets stronger, it’s more likely that an eye will form in the center. If the eye looks symmetrical, it often means the storm isn’t hitting anything that could weaken it.
Typically, storms in the North Pacific that have moved from near North America retain their original name, which is determined by the World Meteorological Association. Storms that form in the Central Pacific are given a traditional Hawaiian name.
Storms often come close to Hawaii and affect the weather, but a direct landfall of a named storm on a Hawaiian island is rare because the land area is relatively small. Even a glimpse of one of these storms can cause problems. In 2020, Hurricane Douglas did not hit the islands directly, but it did bring damaging winds.
During El Niño years, a widespread weather phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific, warm water is pushed eastward, bringing warmer water closer to Hawaii and providing a breeding ground for the formation of storms in the central Pacific.
El Niño is also increasing the number of named storms in the eastern Pacific by reducing wind shear in the region. Wind shear—a change in wind speed and/or direction with height—tears storms apart and can prevent them from strengthening or even developing.
This year, La Niña (the opposite of El Niño) will most likely form during the season, reducing the number of named storms in the Central Pacific.