Well today has gone from clear blue skies this morning to a slow build up of cloud from late afternoon. Hurricane Kiko approaches. Currently a category 1 hurricane, having weakened from a category 4 as it has crossed the Central Pacific Basin, it might still weaken further to a Tropical Storm … still not something that you want to be standing right in front of.

Kiko will pass north of the islands from Tuesday through Wednesday. Indeed it appears to be inching a little further north each time that I look at a report of her progress. My only hope is that the storm does not inch too far north such that its accompanying rain misses us altogether. As I have said a few times here, Maui needs rain (I can’t speak for the other islands).

According to a report in MauiNow,

Forecasters with the CPHC say hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles.

So although the eye of the storm is thankfully north of the islands, Keko’s accompanying weather pattern can stretch out much further. These early clouds are her leading entourage, warning to those in her path that she has arrived and is to be respected.