Hawaii: Bracing for a double hit

Typically tranquil Hawai’i is in for an outsized share of weather chaos later this week as two tropical systems seem poised for close approaches.

The islands are preparing for extreme weather over the next few days as both a hurricane and a tropical storm whirl slowly west across the Pacific Ocean towards the tourist haven.

The US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said as of yesterday Hurricane Iselle was about 1700km east-southeast of Hawai’i, moving west at 15 kilometres per hour with maximum sustained winds of 200kph.

“Watches may be required for portions of the islands by later today or early Wednesday,” the NHC said in an advisory.

Island residents have been stocking up on basics as authorities in Honolulu advise them to prepare a seven-day disaster supply survival kit.

NHC says Iselle is expected to turn west-northwest but is also forecast to weaken over the next 24 hours.

Further east over the Pacific, Tropical Storm Julio is about 1845km from Baja California in Mexico and is also expected to continue moving west-northwest towards Hawai’i through Thursday, the NHC said.

Julio was moving at 20 kilometres per hour with maximum sustained wind speeds of 95 kilometres per hour.

Shoppers in Honolulu have been queuing at supermarkets with carts full of bottled water, batteries and non-perishable food items.

“With Hawai’i’s remoteness, it could be as long as a week before a full disaster relief operation can be initiated,” the department said in a statement.

Hurricane expert James Franklin said Hurricane Iselle could hit Hawai’i by Friday and Julio two or three days after that.

Franklin says two big storms so close together in the eastern Pacific are rare but not unexpected in years with a developing El Nino, a change in ocean temperature that affects weather around the world.

Hurricane Iselle may bring strong winds, flooding and storm surges to the islands.