The National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch Monday for Hawaii Island as Hurricane Madeline continues to intensify.
The National Weather Service issued a hurricane watch Monday for Hawaii Island as Hurricane Madeline continues to intensify.
A watch means that hurricane conditions are possible in the next 48 hours. The weather service also issued a flash flood watch for the island for Wednesday and Thursday.
As of 11 a.m. Monday, Madeline was a category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. It was located 630 miles east of Hilo.
Madeline is forecast to pass south of the island Wednesday and Thursday. Landfall remains a possibility.
By Thursday, the cyclone is expected to weaken to a category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
Farther to the east, Hurricane Lester continues to churn toward the island as a category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. It was 1,610 miles east of Hilo as of 11 a.m. Monday.
Lester is forecast to pass the island Saturday to the north, though a direct hit remains possible.
It’s also expected to weaken to a category 1 hurricane as it nears the island, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.