Visitors look at the Kilauea volcano summit crater at Hawaii National Park, Hawaii, Friday, Sept. 2, 2016.
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Oahu and Maui County remained under a hurricane watch Friday afternoon.
Hurricane Lester was located about 260 miles east of Honolulu on Saturday morning, moving west-northwest at about 16 mph, National Weather Service meteorologist Derek Wroe said.
The National Weather Service posted a high surf warning for east shores of Hawaii, Maui and Molokai starting at 6 p.m. Forecasters expect the hurricane to continue weakening over the next 48 hours.
Tourists in Hawaii are making the best of their vacations, despite the threat of two hurricanes this week.
Residents woke up Saturday to news that a hurricane watch was canceled for the state as the storm tracked north.
“I’ve only been here since yesterday and already it’s unbelievable, being able to see the volcanoes and beaches”, said Harrison, who lives near Buffalo, New York. As of 2 p.m., Lester was a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds measured at 105 miles per hour.
Forecasters no longer expect tropical storm-force winds of 39 miles per hour or greater, but winds will still be gusty and will shift direction as the storm progresses up the island chain.
At a 10 a.m. news conference, Caldwell said he is asking campers to pay attention to the storm reports.
Caldwell said that officials are not expecting a major impact from Hurricane Lester, but they’re preparing for the worst just in case.
“If you’re not an experienced ocean person, I would advise staying out of the water completely”, Rigg said.
Caldwell says the popular snorkeling spot Hanauma Bay is staying open for now.
Emergency shelters will open at 5pm.
Lester is on track to blow by Hawaii on Saturday and Sunday, running north of the island chain and parallel to the islands.
“Although the forecast track now keeps the strongest winds and heaviest rains offshore, the local weather will be highly dependent on the exact track that Lester takes as it passes by”. Large waves are expected to pound east-facing shores of major islands.
Flooding problems could be exacerbated in areas that were affected by heavy rainfall from Madeline. The weather service said there is “a very slight possibility” that Lester could drift west of its current forecast track and bring stronger winds and the heaviest rain onshore.
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“Although forecast model guidance has been stable for the past couple of days, and the official forecast keeps the center of Lester offshore of the islands, a small deviation from the official forecast track could bring profound impacts to Hawaii”, forecasters said. It’s not expected to hit the islands as a hurricane unless it turns south.
