Wildfire red flag warnings called off as Hurricane Hone passes Hawaii

Hurricane Hone passed just south of Hawaii on Sunday, dumping enough rain for the National Weather Service to call off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of islands in the archipelago.

Meanwhile, the eastern Pacific saw a new threat emerge as Tropical Storm Hector formed, packing top sustained winds of 45mph.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect as Hector churned far out at sea, the National Hurricane Centre said.

Hone had top winds of 85mph on Sunday morning as it moved westward, centred about 45 miles off the southernmost point of the Big Island, according to Jon Jelsema, a senior forecaster at the Central Pacific Hurricane Centre in Honolulu.

He said tropical stormforce winds were blowing across the island’s southeast-facing slopes, carrying up to a foot or more of rain.

“As the rain gets pushed up the mountain terrain it wrings it out, kind of like wringing out a wet towel,” Mr Jelsema said.

“It’s been really soaking those areas, there’s been flooding of roads. Roads have been cut off by high flood waters there in the windward sections of the Big Island, and really that’s the only portion of the state that’s had much flooding concern at this point.”

Hurricane Gilma, meanwhile, increased to a category four hurricane on Saturday night, but it was still far east of Hawaii and forecast to weaken into a depression before it reaches the islands.

Some Big Island beach parks were closed due to dangerously high surf and officials opened shelters as a precaution, Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

Hone, whose name is Hawaiian for “sweet and soft”, poked at memories still fresh of last year’s deadly blazes on Maui which were fuelled by hurricane-force winds.

Red flag alerts are issued when warm temperatures, very low humidity and stronger winds combine to raise fire dangers.

Most of the archipelago is already abnormally dry or in drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.

The August 8, 2023, blaze that torched the historic town of Lahaina was the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century, with 102 people killed.

The cause of the Lahaina blaze is still under investigation but it is possible it was ignited by bare electrical wire and leaning power poles toppled by the strong winds.

The state’s two power companies, Hawaiian Electric and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, were prepared to shut off power if necessary to reduce the chance that live, damaged power lines could start fires, but they later said the safety measures would not be necessary as Hone blew past the islands.