Nothing sweet or soft about Tropical Storm Hone as it continues trek toward Hawai‘i

There are several meanings for the word “hone” in Hawaiian.

It can mean honey or to extact honey. The word also can mean sweet and soft, as music, or sweetly appealing, as perfume or a memory of love. Even to sound softly.

But it’s some of the other definitions that might be more relative to the name of the tropical storm now heading toward the Hawaiian Islands, specifically the Big Island.

To be saucy. To tease. Mischievous. To be tricky. A vexation. To run upon.

Tropical Storm Hone was about 520 miles east-southeast of Hilo, 540 miles east-southeast of South Point and 580 miles east-southeast of Kailua-Kona as of 11 a.m. today.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the entire Big Island as Hone is expected to bring increasing wind and the possibility of excessive rain to parts of the island this weekend.

A flood watch also goes into effect Saturday for the island.

The storm was moving west at 16 mph. Its maximum sustained winds increased, now at 50 mph, up from 45 mph earlier this morning.

Hone is still expected to gradually strengthen and continue moving toward the west throughout the next few days, and the latest forecast track still brings its center south of, or possibly near, the Big Island on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Winds associated with Hone will increase over the Big Island on Saturday and could become locally damaging by nightfall.

Tropical storm conditions, with sustained winds higher than 39 mph, are possible Saturday night into Sunday.

The strongest winds will be where they blow downslope from higher terrain, over headlands and through passes, including in areas such as Humu‘ula Saddle, Waimea Saddle, leeward Kohala and South Point.

Persistent rainbands on the north side of Hone could bring excessive rainfall and flash flooding to portions of the Big Island starting Saturday afternoon and continuing through the remainder of the weekend.

Hāmākua, Hilo and Ka‘ū also still appear to have the highest risk for flash flooding, and a few lingering heavy thundershowers might persist over portions of the island into Monday, especially leeward and upslope areas.

Swell associated with the tropical storm continue to be expected to bring high surf and life-threatening strong rip currents to east- and southeast-facing shores, starting later Saturday and persisting through the the weekend.

Weather officials advise that preparations for the arrival of impacts associated with Tropical Storm Hone should be completed by midday Saturday.

Visit the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office website or check National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio and local news outlets for official storm information.

Be sure to listen for possible changes to the forecast.

Find more preparedness resources here:

• Information about appropriate preparations: ready.gov.
• Information about creating an emergency plan: getagameplan.org.
• Additional disaster preparedness information: redcross.org.

The next update about Tropical Storm Hone from the National Weather Service in Honolulu will be at about 6 p.m., or sooner if conditions warrant.