Tropical Storm Greg shapes up south of Hawaii as Maui fire recovery efforts continue

Tropical storm Greg moved from the eastern Pacific Ocean into the central Pacific Ocean Monday, following a similar track as Hurricane Dora last week and fueling concerns it could mean more high winds and dangerous fire conditions in Hawaii.

However, the expected scenario this week "continues to appear significantly different than what was experienced during Dora," Jon Jelsema, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service office in Honolulu, wrote in a morning forecast discussion Monday.

The interaction between Tropical Storm Greg and a high pressure system to the north of Hawaii aren't expected to be as intense as the interaction with Hurricane Dora last week, the weather service said.

Dora's passage contributed indirectly to the high winds that ripped across Maui on August 8, fanning wildfire flames that destroyed more than 2,700 structures in Lahaina and claimed at least 96 lives.

What about Tropical Storm Greg?

• Tropical Storm Greg was more than 1,000 miles east-southeast of Honolulu on Monday, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center reported.
• It was moving westward at about 14 mph, with maximum winds of 45 mph.
• The storm is forecast to pass around 500 miles south of Hawaii on Wednesday and Thursday, following a path similar to Dora, but a little closer to the islands.
• Greg is a much weaker storm with a smaller footprint. The hurricane center reported Greg's tropical storm force winds extend outward only about 35 miles from the center of the storm.
• It's expected to have "no direct impacts" in Hawaii, wrote Maureen Ballard, a forecaster in the joint weather service and hurricane center field office in Honolulu.

How did Hurricane Dora compare to Greg?

• Dora was about 680 miles to the south as it moved westward.
• A Category 4 hurricane, its maximum sustained winds were 130 mph.
• Its hurricane force winds of 74 mph or more extended up to 30 miles from its center.
• Its tropical storm force winds extended outward up to 105 miles.

How did Dora impact the Maui fires?

The trouble was caused by winds generated between a high pressure system to the north of Hawaii and Dora, that resulted in the gusty high winds over Maui on Aug. 8.

Although that high pressure system remains "anchored to the northwest of the state," the weather service said the winds between the two systems as Greg passes are expected to be much weaker, with the high pressure farther to the north.