Tropical Storm Moke Weakens Slightly to 45 mph Winds, Still Threatens Big Island with Heavy Rain and Flooding
Tropical Storm Moke weakened to 45 mph winds Saturday but still threatens the Big Island with 5 to 10 inches of rain, up to 15 inches locally, and flooding through Monday.
Original report
bigislandnow.com
Industry impact
Storm tracks that pass close to islands without triggering formal watches still force operators to weigh rain-driven flooding and terrain-enhanced wind gusts against schedules.
What happened
Tropical Storm Moke weakened slightly on Saturday afternoon, with maximum sustained winds dropping to 45 mph as of the 5 p.m. Central Pacific Hurricane Center advisory, down from 50 mph earlier in the day. As of that update, Moke was located approximately 360 miles south-southeast of Hilo, moving west at 14 mph, with tropical storm-force winds extending about 115 miles from the storm's center.
Rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is forecast for windward and southeast portions of the Big Island, with up to 15 inches possible in some localized areas, raising the risk of life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas already impacted by Hurricane Lala one week earlier. A flood watch is in effect from midnight Sunday through Monday for the island. Areas of concern include Kaʻū, lower Puna, the Hāmākua Coast, and Kohala.
Strong trade winds, enhanced by the pressure gradient created by the storm passing a couple hundred miles south of the Big Island, are expected at high terrain and downslope locations, with sustained speeds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 55 mph forecast tonight through Sunday night. Gusts could approach or exceed the high wind warning threshold of 58 mph in leeward Kohala and near South Point. A wind advisory went into effect at noon Saturday for mainly leeward locations in the north, south, and southeast areas. Windward Maui is forecast to receive 2 to 4 inches of rain, while the rest of the state is expected to see approximately 1 to 2 inches. No tropical storm watches or warnings are expected for Hawaii, given the storm's compact size and the distance its damaging winds are forecast to remain from the islands. The storm's center is expected to pass south of the Big Island on Sunday before moving well south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands early next week. Meteorologists attribute Saturday's collapse of deep convection over and north of the circulation partly to southwesterly vertical wind shear and dry mid-level air, with a strengthening ridge to the north steering the storm west-northwest into a drier, more stable environment. Moke could degenerate into a remnant low by Wednesday. The next complete advisory was scheduled for 11 p.m. Saturday.
Industry impact & what to watch
Moke illustrates how a storm that stays offshore and never draws a formal tropical storm watch can still shut down flight planning through rain and wind rather than a direct hit. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center's advisory cycle, updated through the evening, is the operative input for anyone routing into or out of the Big Island this weekend.
For general aviation and charter operations touching Hilo or Kona, the exposure runs through two separate hazards: heavy windward rainfall capable of flooding runways and access roads, and terrain-enhanced trade wind gusts that can exceed the 58 mph high wind warning threshold in leeward corridors like Kohala and South Point. Both hazards affect ground operations and taxi/approach conditions even without a named storm making landfall.
The next dated marker is the 11 p.m. Saturday advisory, followed by the expected onset of gradual weakening on Sunday and the possibility Moke degenerates into a remnant low by Wednesday. Whether the flood watch is extended past Monday will depend on how much of the forecast 5 to 15 inches of rain actually falls on already-saturated ground from Hurricane Lala.
Who this affects
- General Aviation Airports — Flood watch conditions and gusts near 58 mph threaten runway and ramp access on the Big Island through Monday.
- Business Charter Operators — Dispatch planning into the Big Island must weigh a Monday flood watch and gusts up to 55 mph against schedule.
- Charter Brokers — Clients booking Big Island trips face possible delay risk from flooding and gusts even without a tropical storm warning.
The underlying facts come from the originating publisher (linked above). The narrative, industry-impact assessment and per-role analysis below are produced independently by the AVI-GO intelligence team from public information. Cite as: AVI-GO, "Tropical Storm Moke Weakens Slightly to 45 mph Winds, Still Threatens Big Island with Heavy Rain and Flooding" news brief, 2026-08-24.
How to cite
AVI-GO, “Tropical Storm Moke Weakens Slightly to 45 mph Winds, Still Threatens Big Island with Heavy Rain and Flooding”. https://ai.avi-go.com/news/ai-news-center/news-briefs/tropical-storm-moke-weakens-slightly-to-45-mph-winds-still-threatens-b-6605fa1cd88e372f4860708858f01533
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