HILO, Hawaii — Forecasters on Wednesday downgraded Hurricane Madeline to a tropical storm as it veered past Hawaii’s Big Island, but officials reiterated warnings to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds.
The National Weather Service downgraded the storm as its sustained winds fell below hurricane strength of 74 mph.
By 5 p.m., sustained winds swirled at 65 mph, and forecasters said continued weakening over the coming days was expected.
Its center was passing to the south and wasn’t expected to make landfall on any Hawaiian island. Still, the Big Island and Maui County were under tropical storm warnings.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a strong tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane,” said Eric Lau, a meteorologist with the weather service. “If you have 70 mph winds versus 75 mph winds, it’s still a strong storm, so residents still need to be prepared.”
Meanwhile, Hurricane Lester was about 1,000 miles from Hawaii and expected to drop to a tropical storm by Sunday.
President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Oahu this week. The White House was tracking the weather but didn’t anticipate changing Obama’s schedule.
In the Gulf of Mexico
Elsewhere, the National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Hermine had formed in the Gulf of Mexico and was centered about 350 miles from Tampa, Fla. It was expected to pick up speed and approach the northwest Florida coast tonight.
