HONOLULU (AP) — Tropical Storm Cristobal well west of the Azores was expected to dissipate while a Pacific storm system could threaten Hawaii this weekend, forecasters said.
Cristobal formed Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean.
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There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said, and the storm was forecast to dissipate on Thursday.
Cristobal was located about 765 miles (1,235 kilometers) west of the Azores with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph). It was moving east.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific Ocean, the National Hurricane Center initiated advisories on Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C, which was located about 935 miles (1,504 kilometers) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii and packed winds of 35 mph (56 kph).
The center said the system was moving west and was expected to strengthen into a tropical storm Thursday before nearing the Hawaiian Islands. A hurricane watch or tropical storm watch will likely be needed for the islands by early Thursday, forecasters said.
The system could bring rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 centimeters) in the island chain, with up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) possible, forecasters said. That could produce flooding and mudslides, the National Hurricane Center said.
It is possible it could make landfall on the southern part of the Big Island as a tropical storm on Saturday, said Laura Farris, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.
“We want people to be aware and preparing for some kind of tropical cyclone moving close to the islands,” she said.
