Hurricane Gilma is currently slowing down as it moves toward Hawaii, with forecasts indicating it will maintain a west-northwest trajectory and increase in strength until at least Tuesday evening. As of the latest update from the National Hurricane Center, Gilma has sustained wind speeds of around 105 mph while traveling westward at a sluggish 10 mph.
Although the storm has weakened significantly from its peak as a Category 3 hurricane, it is expected to remain a hurricane until it reaches the central Pacific basin. The NHC indicated that a slight increase in westward movement is anticipated in the coming days, alongside a steady weakening of the storm. Hurricane-force winds could extend up to 15 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds could reach up to 80 miles outward.
As of Monday evening, Gilma was located about 1,260 miles from Hilo, Hawaii. According to forecasts, tropical storm-force winds are expected to impact Hawaii by Thursday evening. However, by the time the storm reaches the islands, it is likely to downgrade to a tropical depression, which means it will still produce hazardous conditions, including potential flooding, but will have sustained wind speeds of less than 39 mph.
Recently, severe weather has already caused flooding in Hawaii, leading to closed roadways, power outages, and the closure of public schools on the Big Island. If Gilma does reach Hawaii, it would mark the first instance in over 30 years that two named storms come within 300 miles of the state, according to AccuWeather.
Adding to the situation, another storm named Hector has formed in the Pacific. Hector achieved tropical storm status on Sunday and is currently about 1,000 miles off the coast of Baja California, with sustained winds of up to 65 mph. Hector is moving westward at 13 mph, and its potential impact on Hawaii remains uncertain.