Hawaii hit by strong rain, surf as tropical storm brushes by

UPDATE: Thursday, Sept. 1, 5:30 a.m.

However, Hawaii and its visitors must now prepare for the potential arrival of Hurricane Lester this holiday weekend.

The ground may already be saturated from the effects of Madeline, which is now approaching Hawaii Island. Hurricanes originate in the Atlantic basin that includes the Caribbean Sea, the eastern Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the central North Pacific Ocean. It was expected to pick up speed and approach the northwest Florida coast Thursday night; a hurricane warning was issued for the area.

The official track predicts the center of Madeline will pass just south of Hawaii, although some models still expect a landfall late Wednesday on the Big Island.

Forecasters downgraded Madeline from a hurricane to a tropical storm as it. Forecasters downgraded Hurricane Madeline to a tropical storm as the system veered past Hawaii’s Big Island.

“There are some residences in Maui County which are on the periphery of Madeline right now”, said Ray Tanabe, a meteorologist with the weather service.

The County of Hawaii sent residents an alert about the hurricane’s dangers, including heavy rains that could lead to mudslides, as well as possibly damaging ocean swells.

If Lester tracks farther south and makes landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii as a hurricane, it would be the first hurricane to do so in recorded history. The warnings mean hurricane or tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.

The storm has moved to the south of Hawaii’s Big Island. But he says it’s likely to remain a hurricane as it passes the islands over the weekend. Maui could see 1 to 3 inches, with some areas getting up to 5 inches.

“Increased swells, rough surf and unsafe rip currents will affect many east-facing shores through the remainder of the week”, AccuWeather Meteorologist Kyle Brown said. The surf is starting to arrive on east shores of Hawaii island.

Currently, air travel to and from Hawaii appears to be operating smoothly as FlightView.com shows a majority of the flights departing and arriving Honolulu International Airport are doing so on time.

In addition to the wind and rough seas associated with tropical storms, heavy rainfall could also be a major threat from this system.

Elsewhere, the National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Hermine had formed in the Gulf of Mexico and was centered about 315 miles from Tampa, Fla. By Wednesday evening, sustained winds swirled at 65 miles per hour, below hurricane strength of 74 miles per hour, and forecasters said continued weakening over the coming days was expected.