Tropical Storm Hon on Saturday near Hawaii’s Big Island with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, forecasters said.
Hon’s center was 185 miles southeast of Hilo Saturday afternoon and moving west at 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical Storm Hone is forecast to pass near or south of the island Saturday night into early Sunday morning. Its strength is likely to peak Sunday night into Monday, the Hurricane Center said.
“A slight increase in strength is expected in the next 48 hours,” the center said. “However, Hoan is forecast to be below hurricane strength at its peak.”
A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds reach at least 74 miles per hour.
Steady rain was falling on the Big Island Saturday afternoon and 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 warning is in effect for Hawaii County, and swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents across the island chain 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.
Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency issued a “red flag” warning Friday for the leeward portions of all islands because high winds could contribute to wildfire risk.
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.
