Tropical Storm Horn approached Hawaii Island on Saturday with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph, forecasters said.
The center of the Horn was about 185 miles southeast of Hilo Saturday afternoon and was moving west at 15 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Horn is expected to pass near or south of the island Saturday night into early Sunday morning, and is expected to peak in strength Sunday night into Monday, according to the hurricane center.
“Some strengthening is forecast over the next 48 hours,” the center said, “but the Horn is forecast to remain just below peak hurricane strength.”
A tropical cyclone becomes a hurricane when sustained wind speeds reach 74 miles per hour or greater.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu said steady rain was falling on Hawaii Island Saturday afternoon, with heavier rains likely causing flash flooding.
Big Island residents could see between 6 and 12 inches of rain.
A tropical storm warning was in effect for Hawaii County, and swells could cause life-threatening rough seas and outflowing tides across the islands on Saturday, the hurricane center said.
The National Weather Service said in a coastal hazard warning that “rapid” waves between 14 and 18 feet high were expected along the Big Island’s east coast on Saturday, with dangerously “large and turbulent” surf possible continuing through Sunday.
The weather service said wave heights could also increase dramatically along Maui’s east coast.
“Please stay away from shorelines along affected coastlines,” it warned.
The Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency issued a “red flag” warning Friday for downwind areas of the entire island through Saturday, citing the risk of high winds increasing the risk of wildfires.
The hurricane is east of the Horn, heading toward the Hawaiian Islands, but is forecast to become a tropical storm while over the ocean east of the state. No coastal watches or warnings have been issued for the storm, which has been named Hurricane Girma.
