Updated at 2:06 p.m., Thursday, August 9, 2007
Tropical Storm Flossie slowly moving toward Hawaii
Advertiser Staff and News Services
The storm was last night centered 1,918 miles from Honolulu at 11 p.m. Hawai'i time, according to the the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Flossie was moving west toward Hawai'i at almost 14 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 52 mph, the center said.
"The official forecast calls for a gradual strengthening," the center said.
The storm may reach hurricane strength later today and then weaken by tomorrow, forecasters said.
A five-day forecast for Flossie won't be known until Saturday, when it's expected to cross 140 degrees west longitude, said Wes Browning, director of operations at the National Weather Service in Honolulu and deputy director of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
"Right now, the cone of uncertainty, the potential extended track storm, doesn't even reach the state," Browning said. "It's too early to tell about the potential impacts on the state of Hawai'i. We'll get a much clearer idea as we head into the weekend."
The systems are designated tropical storms, and are named, when sustained winds reach 39 mph. They become hurricanes when sustained winds reach 74 mph.
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