Pena expected to become hurricane but stay far south of Hawaii

The Central Pacific’s hurricane season isn’t over yet.

Tropical Storm Pena, which formed Friday far southeast of Hawaii island, is expected to stay well south of the state but grow into a weak hurricane by next week.

As of 5 a.m. today, Pena was 550 miles south-southeast of South Point with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and moving west at 13 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center.

Forecasters expect Pena to gradually strengthen over the next few days as it moves across favorable sea surface temperatures and through a region of low vertical wind shear.

By Wednesday, Pena is expected to be a minimal hurricane with 75 mph winds far southwest of the islands as it continues to move west.

National Weather Service forecasters say “a high pressure ridge to the north of the state will remain locked in place for the foreseeable future keeping Tropical Storm Pena moving in a westerly direction, passing well south of the Hawaiian islands.”

They said the islands can expect breezy tradewinds today through the weekend and into the first half of next week.

By Thursday and Friday, “an unsettled cloud band associated with a dissipated cold front moves in from the north” and increasing shower activity in Hawaii.

Hawaii’s hurricane season lasts through Nov. 30 but forecasters have warned that is could extend beyond November this year as a record-setting El Nino climate pattern, including higher sea-surface temperatures, continues to fuel tropical cyclones.