Tropical Storm Hone forms east of Hawaii

Hawaii is bracing for strong winds in the coming days after Tropical Storm Hone formed Thursday in the Pacific, a year after a devastating fire, fanned by windy conditions, tore through the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina and left more than 100 people dead.

The storm system had maximum sustained winds of about 40 mph Thursday and was in the eastern Pacific about 1,000 miles away from Honolulu.

A tropical storm watch was issued for Hawaii County on Thursday, meaning that tropical storm conditions were possible there over the next 48 hours.

The tropical storm has an uncertain future path. It may pass dangerously close to the islands over the weekend, forecasters in Hawaii warned. But a change of even a few miles in the storm’s potential path could change its overall impact on the island chain.

Forecasters in Hawaii believe that Tropical Storm Hone may become a hurricane as it passes south of the Big Island. Powerful winds and rain could begin affecting the eastern islands as early as Friday night and then statewide later Saturday through early next week.

“The triple threat that a tropical cyclone could bring includes strong and damaging winds, heavy and potentially flooding rainfall, as well as high surf and storm surge,” forecasters said.

Over the weekend, rainfall amounts may reach 4 to 8 inches along the windward areas of the Big Island of Hawaii, with 2 to 4 inches possible over windward sections of the smaller islands. An ocean swell that could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents will reach the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend.

Much of Hawaii is in a moderate to extreme drought. The storm could bring beneficial rains but with possible tropical-storm-force winds, the fire risk will also increase.

Hurricane Gilma looms just behind this storm and could also threaten the islands soon after.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.