Tropical Storm Moke weakened this afternoon but is still forecast to bring up to 15 inches of rain to parts of Hawaii Island on Sunday as it starts to pass hundreds of miles south of the state through Monday.

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At about 5 p.m., Moke had 45 mph maximum sustained winds and was centered about 360 miles south-southeast of Hilo, moving west at 14 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 115 miles from the center.

The weakening comes in the face of “persistent southwesterly vertical wind shear and dry mid-level air,” weather officials said.

Although it passing much farther south and is weaker than last weekend’s destructive Hurricane Lala, Moke is still forecast to drench the already-saturated Big Island on Sunday with 5 to 10 inches of rain, and up to 15 inches in some windward areas of the island.

A flood watch is in effect for the island from midnight through Monday afternoon.

“These rainfall amounts may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast Big Island, especially in steep terrain and over areas that were affected recently by Lala,” forecasters said.

Moke is also expected to bring gusty winds across the Hawaiian Islands late tonight and Sunday, especially in higher terrain.

The center of the storm is forecast to pass a few hundred miles south of the state, starting with Hawaii Island on Sunday morning and Oahu on Monday morning. It will be far southwest of Kauai by Tuesday. Facing drier air and increasing wind shear, Moke is also expected to gradually weaken Sunday, CPHC said.

Gov. Josh Green’s office said today that state agencies remain ready to respond to Moke and support county emergency response efforts.

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“Our teams are working on two fronts: helping communities recover from Lala while preparing for Moke,” Green said in a news release. “We have submitted our request for federal assistance to bring additional resources to Hawaii. State and county teams are ready to respond and I urge everyone to remain alert, follow official updates and avoid unnecessary risks as the storm passes.”

Green today formally requested the White House for a presidential emergency declaration for Hawaii following Hurricane Lala.

The request, which covers the counties of Hawaii, Maui and Honolulu, asks for immediate federal assistance to protect public health and safety, maintain essential services and support communities recovering from Lala as Tropical Storm Moke approaches, according to the governor’s office.

“Hurricane Lala caused severe damage across our state and placed an extraordinary strain on communities already recovering from previous disasters,” Green said in a news release. “I have been in direct contact with the White House and Cabinet officials, including Homeland Security Secretary (Markwayne) Mullin, to advocate for the urgent assistance Hawaii needs. We are asking for specialized federal resources to protect our communities, care for our people and keep essential services operating while another storm approaches.”

Lala, which slowly moved past South Point on Aug. 15 as a Category 1 hurricane, dumped over 30 inches of rain to some Hawaii Island areas, before passing south of the other islands as a powerful tropical storm. Lala caused destructive floods, landslides, and damages hundreds of homes and several bridges, especially on the Big Island where Ka‘u district was the hit hardest.

>> Sign up for the city’s HNL Alert at hnlalert.gov or text HNLALERT to 888-777 to receive emergency alerts and important information.

>> For Tropical Storm Lala recovery information and city resources, go to www.oneoahu.org.

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