The intensity of Tropical Storm Fernanda held steady Thursday, and forecasters now expect the storm to weaken slower than earlier predictions.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Fernanda was about 905 miles east-southeast of South Point on the Big Island. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph. The tropical storm was moving west-northwest at 12 mph.

KITV4 meteorologist Justin Fujioka says upper-level winds and cooler ocean temperatures should cause the storm to weaken slowly Friday and Saturday.

Fujioka expects Fernanda to pass several hundred miles south of Hawaii early next week as a weak tropical depression. He said the islands should see an increase in showers and trade wind speeds at that time, along with higher humidity.

"These storms have a mind of their own sometimes, so everyone in Hawaii should monitor Fernanda's progress," Fujioka said.

All advisories on the storm will now be issued by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu, which took over forecast responsibilities from the National Hurricane Center in Miami when Fernanda crossed 140 degrees west longitude Wednesday night.

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