The National Hurricane Center, which is issuing advisories on Hurricane Lester, predicts some weakening over the next 48 hours.
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Tuesday morning, KGW meteorologist Rod Hill forecast that Madeline could weaken to a Tropical Storm by Wednesday, passing along the southern half of the Big Island. A second storm, Hurricane Lester, is following in Madeline’s path.
US President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Oahu this week.
The White House is tracking the weather developments closely, but it doesn’t anticipate changing Obama’s schedule.
Big Island resident Mitzi Bettencourt has boarded up windows in her brother’s oceanfront home.
Hawaii County, which covers the Big Island, urged residents to restock their emergency kits with a flashlight, fresh batteries, cash and first aid supplies.
It also advised residents to come up with evacuation plans and secure outdoor furniture. Lester was upgraded to a category 3 hurricane over the past 24 hours, with maximum wind speeds at 120 mph (105 kts).
It could bring up to 15 inches of rain on the Big Island, with chances of flash flooding and mudslides.
The forecaster says Madeline is expected to pass just south of the Big Island.
HAWAII is about to get hit by a double whammy as two tropical hurricanes bear down on the island paradise.
The Big Island, officially known as Hawaii, is home to only 185,000 people, compared to Oahu – which includes the capital Honolulu – which has nearly a million people.
Lester is projected to pass into the Central Pacific Hurricane Center’s jurisdiction Wednesday.
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The tropical depression, which has yet to be named, could strengthen into a tropical storm later on Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within the specified area. They initially reported that the storm had reached Category 4 intensity but they expect it to diminish in strength heading into Wednesday.
