531  
WTPZ41 KNHC 042056  
TCDEP1  
 
HURRICANE KIKO DISCUSSION NUMBER 19  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP112025  
ISSUED BY THE NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
1100 AM HST THU SEP 04 2025  
 
RECENT IR SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES KIKO'S PRESENTATION IS  
IMPROVING AS THE PREVIOUS EYEWALL REPLACEMENT CYCLE (EWRC) PROCESS  
IS LIKELY IN ITS FINAL STAGES OF CONCLUDING, WITH THE EYE BEGINNING  
TO CLEAR OUT. LATEST DVORAK ESTIMATES FROM TAFB AND SAB REMAIN AT  
T6.0/115 KT, WITH OBJECTIVE INTENSITY ESTIMATES ONLY STARTING TO  
INCREASE AGAIN. THUS, THE INITIAL INTENSITY FOR NOW WILL REMAIN 115  
KNOTS.  
 
NOW THAT KIKO IS COMPLETING ITS EWRC, SOME REINTENSIFICATION IS  
POSSIBLE. THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENT REMAINS FAVORABLE, WITH  
SEA-SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SST) REMAINING BETWEEN 27-28 C WITH MODEST  
NORTHEASTERLY SHEAR. PREVIOUS FORECASTS FROM THE INTERPOLATED  
INTENSITY AIDS WERE BELOW THE OFFICIAL NHC FORECAST. HOWEVER, THIS  
AREA OF THE PACIFIC HAS HISTORICALLY HAD A LOW BIAS WHEN IT COMES TO  
THE INTENSITY FORECASTS WHEN TROPICAL CYCLONES DEVELOP A MORE  
ANNULAR STRUCTURE, WHICH THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IS FAVORABLE FOR.  
AS A RESULT, THE PREVIOUS FORECAST WAS GENERALLY MAINTAINED OVER THE  
FIRST 72 HOURS, ABOVE THE MAJORITY OF THE GUIDANCE. BEYOND 72 HOURS,  
SOUTHWESTERLY SHEAR INCREASES QUICKLY, AND THE HURRICANE WILL MOVE  
OVER SUB-26 C SSTS. THIS SHOULD HASTEN WEAKENING TOWARDS THE END OF  
THE FORECAST, WHICH FALLS BACK IN LINE WITH THE INTENSITY CONSENSUS  
AIDS.  
 
KIKO WILL RIDE THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF A BROAD UPPER RIDGE  
SITUATED OVER THE NORTHERN PACIFIC LEADING TO A CONTINUED WEST TO  
WEST-NORTHWEST HEADING THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AND WEEKEND WITH  
A FORWARD PROPAGATION LIKELY TO SETTLE BETWEEN 8-12 KTS OVER THIS  
TIME FRAME. BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, THE FORWARD SPEED WILL INCREASE TO  
10-15 KTS, WITH THE HURRICANE MOVING A BIT MORE POLEWARD AS IT  
APPROACHES THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, AS AN UPPER TROUGH TO THE NORTHWEST  
OF THE ISLANDS ERODES THE WESTERN FLANK OF THE RIDGE. THIS FORECAST  
REMAINS CLOSE TO THE CONSENSUS GUIDANCE AND JUST A LITTLE FASTER  
THAN THE PREVIOUS NHC FORECAST.  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
1. KIKO IS FORECAST TO APPROACH THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS DURING THE  
EARLY TO THE MIDDLE PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. THE RISK OF DIRECT IMPACTS  
FROM WIND AND RAINFALL IS INCREASING. HOWEVER, IT IS TOO SOON TO  
DETERMINE THE EXACT LOCATION OR MAGNITUDE OF THESE IMPACTS, AND  
INTERESTS THERE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS  
STORM.  
 
 
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS  
 
INIT 04/2100Z 13.9N 134.6W 115 KT 130 MPH  
12H 05/0600Z 14.1N 135.9W 120 KT 140 MPH  
24H 05/1800Z 14.5N 137.6W 125 KT 145 MPH  
36H 06/0600Z 15.0N 139.5W 120 KT 140 MPH  
48H 06/1800Z 15.7N 141.4W 115 KT 130 MPH  
60H 07/0600Z 16.3N 143.3W 110 KT 125 MPH  
72H 07/1800Z 17.1N 145.3W 105 KT 120 MPH  
96H 08/1800Z 18.7N 149.1W 80 KT 90 MPH  
120H 09/1800Z 20.3N 154.0W 50 KT 60 MPH  
 

 
FORECASTER KLEEBAUER/PAPIN  
 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab TPC Page Main Text Page