Hurricane Hone spun near Hawaii’s Big Island with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, forecasters said. It is not expected to strengthen until Sunday as it moves west.
Hon’s center is southeast of Hilo and moving west, according to the National Hurricane Center in its local time update at 11 p.m.
Cyclone Hone is forecast to pass near or south of the island early Sunday morning, with its strength likely to peak overnight Sunday into Monday, the hurricane center said.
“Little change in strength is expected early tonight Sunday, followed by gradual weakening from Sunday afternoon,” the center said in its 11pm update.
“Hurricane-force winds extend outward about 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward about 125 miles,” the center said.
It continued to rain Saturday afternoon on the Big Island, it is expected to intensify and threaten flash flooding, the weather service office in Honolulu said.
Residents of the Big Island could see 6 to 12 inches of rain, it said.
A tropical storm is underway in Hawaii County, and swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents across the island chain on Saturday, the hurricane center said.
“Rapidly rising” waves of 14 to 18 feet are forecast Saturday along the Big Island’s east coast, where waves will remain dangerously “large and erratic” through Sunday, the National Weather Service said in a coastal hazard message.
Wave heights will also increase rapidly along the east coast of Maui, the weather service said.
“Stay away from the coast in affected areas,” it said.
Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency Saturday, which was expected to take effect Monday. The proclamation allows the governor to activate the National Guard and state disaster funds while suspending aspects of state law that would impede rapid response.
State Forestry and Wildlife officials have closed camping areas on the Big Island as a precaution, the governor’s office said.
A hurricane is east of Honolulu in the direction of the Hawaiian Islands, but is forecast to become a tropical depression while offshore east of the state. There are no coastal watches or warnings for the storm, which has been named Typhoon Gilma.
