"The storm, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph, passed 'south of South Point on the Big Island. Tropical storm conditions were expected on the Big Island "during the early morning hours," with rain of up to 30 centimetres and large waves, the agency said at 2:00 am local time.
A local television station reported that beaches were closed and emergency shelters were open, and Hawaiian Electric said more than 7,000 of its customers were without power.
Behind Hone, whose name means "sweet and mild" in Hawaiian, moved Hurricane Gilma, a monster Category 4 storm on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale.
Gilma was still about 2,400 kilometres from Hawaii and was expected to weaken, the hurricane centre said. | BGNES
