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Hurricane Hone was moving toward Hawaii and forecasters expect it to dump heavy rain, especially over Hilo. Image courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Hurricane Hone was moving toward Hawaii and forecasters expect it to dump heavy rain, especially over Hilo. Image courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Aug. 24 (UPI) — Hone intensified into a hurricane as it neared Hawaii’s Big Island on Sunday.

Hone was about 115 miles south-southwest of Hilo and about 265 miles southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm was traveling 16 mph westward, according to the 2 a.m. HST update from the Central Hurricane Center.

Hone was designated as the eighth named storm in the Pacific in the update three hours earlier. It is the third hurricane.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Hawaii County.

Hone is moving toward the west and this motion is expected to continue into Monday, followed by a slight decrease in forward speed, the agency said.

“Hone is expected to produce a total rainfall of 6 to12 inches over mainly windward and southeast-facing slopes of the Big Island, with locally higher amounts possible,” the hurricane center said. “Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches will be possible over portions of the smaller islands, mainly windward.

Also, surf is associated with large swells Sunday. Expect dangerous conditions with life-threatening surf and rip currents, the storm center said.

Gov. Josh Green proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday. The proclamation allows the governor to activate the National Guard and a state disaster fund while suspending certain aspects of state law.

Camping areas on the Big Island were closed as a precaution, the governor’s office said.

Hurricane Gilma, a Category 4 storm, was about 1,480 miles east of Hilo and about 1,500 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. It was moving west-northwest at 9 mph.

A gradual weakening is expected although Gilma should remain a hurricane through early next week, the hurricane center said.

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