Depression upgraded to Tropical Storm Guillermo; tracking toward islands

The eighth tropical depression of the Eastern Pacific Ocean hurricane season formed far from land as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) core satellite passed overhead and measured rainfall and cloud heights.

With that said, a new tropical wave emerged off the African coast Wednesday morning and has already caught the attention of the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is forecast to weaken as it approaches the state as a tropical storm.

Tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center.

Located 1,955 miles east-southeast of Kailua-Kona, Guillermo is set to peak with 90 mph winds on Saturday and Sunday, with some weakening beginning Monday as the system moves into an area of increased wind shear and lower sea surface temperatures. It is expected that the storm will continue to remain in a favorable environment for strengthening over the next three to four days with a one-in-three chance of intensification over the next 24 hours.

Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Florida, cautioned that extended forecasts have a high degree of uncertainty. Sustained winds on that side were between 18 and 21 meters per second (40 to 46 mph/55 to 75 kph).

“Some slow development is possible into early next week while the system moves westward at about 15 miles per hour”, the NHC said on its website.