Hurricane Kenneth
expected to weaken

The storm could bring more
showers by this weekend

Hurricane Kenneth was expected to pass into the Central Pacific this morning, the second named storm in as many weeks to move towards Hawaii.

The storm, with sustained winds of about 75 mph, was about 1,140 miles east of Hilo yesterday. Kenneth is a Category 1 hurricane but is expected to gradually weaken through Thursday, when forecasters say it will become a tropical storm.

By that time, Kenneth will be about 450 miles east of Hilo.

The earliest the storm would affect Hawaii's weather is this weekend. At this point, it's expected to follow a similar path as Hurricane Jova, but forecasters said it's really too early to tell what Kenneth will do.

When it crosses into the Central Pacific, Hawaii's Central Pacific Hurricane Center will be in charge of monitoring the storm and issuing advisories on Kenneth, taking over responsibility from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Weather service lead forecaster Victor Proton said that if the storm passes to the south of the islands, tradewinds would increase.

If it passes to the north, trades would be stopped and moisture in the atmosphere could bring heavy rains.

That's what happened with former Hurricane Jova, now a tropical depression, which was about 270 miles northeast of Honolulu yesterday.

The storm cut off trades when it passed above the islands, allowing thundershowers to develop over Oahu and Kauai on Friday.

Kenneth is expected to pass into the Central Pacific 200 miles north of where Jova crossed, Proton said. Meanwhile, he added, tradewinds blocked by Jova are expected to return tonight or tomorrow.