Storm Kilo to strengthen in Pacific, Danny to weaken in Atlantic

By Karin Stanton KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (Reuters) - Weather system Kilo weakened into a depression by early Saturday but is expected to become a hurricane as it travels across the central Pacific towards the Hawaiian islands over the next several days, the National Weather Service said. Kilo, with sustained winds of up to 30 miles per hour (48 kilometers per hour), was centered roughly 520 miles (835 km) south of Honolulu by Saturday at 5 a.m. (11 a.m. EDT), moving west-northwest at about 17 mph (28 kph), the NWS said. Kilo is expected to strengthen and slow over the weekend, as it begins to turn northwest. Because it is tracking over warm water, south of the islands, it will likely avoid a wind shear that weakened two hurricanes earlier this month. Forecasters say Kilo will not make a direct hit on any of the islands but Kauai appears to be the most vulnerable. Flash-flood warnings are in effect for Maui and Hawaii's Big Island through Monday. Meanwhile, Hurricane Danny was churning over the Atlantic with slightly less force by midday Saturday. Danny, the first hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm. It weakened overnight and through the day, registering winds of up to 85 mph (136 kph) by Saturday, down from 115 mph (185 kph) the evening before. The hurricane is about 635 miles east (1,015 km) of the Leeward Islands and moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph). Danny was expected to weaken back into a tropical storm as it reaches the outer Caribbean early next week. The French government has issued a tropical storm watch for Caribbean islands including Guadeloupe, St. Barthelemy and St. Martin. Hurricanes can bring destructive high winds, torrential rain and big waves, the National Weather Service said. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and James Dalgleish)