6:30 p.m. UPDATE: Hilda Flood Advisory Extended

***Updated at 6:30 p.m. to include information from the National Weather Service.***

The Flood Advisory has been extended to 9:30 p.m. Moderate to heavy rain continues across the Puna district and upper slopes of Mauna Loa. If the heavy rain persists the flood advisory could be extended.

***Updated at 5:00 p.m. to include information from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. update.***

A Flood Advisory is still posted for parts of the Big Island at this hour even as Hilda continues to weaken. The track continues to shift south and away from the islands which is good news considering even with the given track we are forecasted to get more rain than we’ve seen in quiet a while.

The remnant low is moving west-southwest near 14 mph and this motion is expected to continue through Friday night before dissipation on Saturday. Maximum sustained winds are at 30 mph with higher gusts.

Image: NWS satellite 5 p.m. August 13, 2015

The system is currently 275 miles SSW of Hilo, 275 miles S of Kailua-Kona and 215 miles S of South Point. This will be the last update from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Hilda unless re-generation occurs (which is not likely).

Moisture surrounding tropical depression Hilda will continue to bring a chance of heavy thundershowers to the Big Island tonight and Friday. As Hilda moves away later Friday, showers will diminish.

Trades are expected to keep blowing through Saturday. A trough will pass near the islands late in the weekend and early next week. The trough will weaken our trades again, bringing another spell of uncomfortably warm and humid weather along with a chance of locally heavy mainly afternoon showers.

***Updated at 3:30 p.m. to include information from the National Weather Service.***

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: malika@bigislandnow.com

Radar and rain gauges continue to show moderate to heavy rain falling at 1-2 inches per hour. The flood advisory has been extended to 6:30 p.m. and could be extended again if conditions persist. Rain has also been falling on the upper slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa.

***Updated at 12:30 p.m. to include information from the National Weather Service.***

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: Malika@bigislandnow.com

A Flood Advisory has just been issued for the south Hilo and Puna districts for moderate to heavy rain falling at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Additional rainfall will continue to develop over the east-facing slopes of the Big Island and over the upper slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa during the next several hours.

Other locations in the advisory include, but are not limited to, Hilo, Mountain View, Pahoa, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Pahala, Highway 11 from Hilo to Naalehu and Saddle Road from Pohakuloa to Hilo. This advisory may need to be extended or upgraded based on conditions.

Central Pacific Hurricane Center image, as of 11 a.m.

***Updated at 11 a.m. to include information from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. advisory. ***

By: Jamilia Epping

Hilda has been downgraded to a tropical depression, as of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 11 a.m. storm advisory.

Located about 235 miles south of Hilo, Tropical Depression Hilda is now carrying depression-level wind speeds of 35 miles per hour, moving in a west-southwest direction.

Tropical Depression Hilda has picked up forward speed slightly since earlier Thursday advisories, but the increase to 12 mph was expected.

Forecasts predict that Tropical Depression Hilda will continue its weakening through Satuday as the storm continues to the south. As that occurs, a large area of moist air is forecast to bring showers over the islands. Heavy thundershowers are within the realm of possibility, according to the National Weather Service. Tropical Depression Hilda is expected to cause weakened trades that will leave the air feeling humid over the weekend.

Surf swells will continue to produce advisory level surf along east and southeast facing shores on the Big Island, as well as Maui.

A High Surf Advisory is in effect for East facing shore until 6 p.m. Thursday, while a Small Craft Advisory is currently in effect for windward coastal waters until 6 p.m. Friday. A Flash Flood Watch is also in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday.

***Updated at 8:15 a.m. to include information from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. outlook.***

By: Jamilia Epping

As of 8 a.m., Tropical Storm Hilda was 190 miles southeast of South Point, the closest the storm has reached to the Big Island.

Image: CPHC track 5 a.m. August 13, 2015

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported that the storm has maintained its speed at 9 miles per hour and continues to inch along.

National Weather Service officials continue to forecast wet weather for the Big Island. Heavy showers will bring the potential for flash flooding throughout the Big Island into the weekend, with clearing expected around Saturday.

Stick with Big Island Now as we bring you the latest on Tropical Storm Hilda.

***Original story posted at 5:49 a.m.***

By Meteorologist Malika Dudley / Email: malika@bigislandnow.com

As of 5 a.m. Hilda was located about 210 miles southeast of Hilo, moving west at 9 miles per hour, an increase in forward speed from earlier advisories.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center reports that the storm has weakened a bit with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and is barely hanging onto its tropical storm status.

The system is expected to continue to weaken Thursday and into Friday and will become a tropical depression once it dips below 39 mph winds. That is expected to occur this afternoon.

Image: CPHC track 5 a.m. August 13, 2015

Rainfall along the north portion of Tropical Storm Hilda is expected, as well as large swells that may produce high surf along east and southeast facing shores.

A High Surf Advisory is currently in effect for east facing shores on the Big Island. A Flash Flood Watch is expected to go into effect Thursday morning at 6 a.m. The Tropical Storm Warning for offshore waters from 40nm out to 240 nm has been reinstated.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 60 miles. The moisture field reaches far beyond that and 4 to 8 inches of rain with isolated amounts up to 12 inches are still expected in some Big Island locations.

Image: NWS satellite 5 a.m. August 13, 2015

Hilda will pass far enough to the south of the Hawaiian Islands to avoid direct impacts but the associated moisture plume north through east of the system may trigger heavy rainfall, flash flooding and mudslides across portions of the Aloha State.

Moisture associated with Hilda will clear the state on Saturday. A trough passing near the islands later in the weekend will cause trade winds to weaken and shift out of the east-southeast into early next week.

For today’s full weather forecast click here.