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. 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. Danny, the first hurricane of the 2015 Atlantic season, was downgraded to a tropical storm after weakening 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 520 miles east (840 km) of the Leeward Islands and moving west at 14 mph (22 kph), the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory on Saturday evening. The center of Danny is expected to be near the Leeward Islands by Sunday night or Monday morning. Danny is expected to produce 2 (5 cm) inches to 4 inches (10 cm) of rain over the Leeward Islands through Monday. 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 and Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Robin Pomeroy, James Dalgleish and Alan Crosby)