Hone becomes Category 1 hurricane, lashes Hawaii's Big Island

Aug. 24 (UPI) -- Hone intensified into a hurricane and then lashed Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday morning.

Hone was about 100 miles south-southwest of Kailua-Kona and about 175 miles south-southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The storm was moving 12 mph west-northwest, according to the 11 a.m. HST update from the Central Hurricane Center.

Hone was designated as the eighth named storm in the Pacific Ocean in the 11 p.m. Saturday update with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. It is the third hurricane in the Pacific.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Hawaii County.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 15 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 90 miles away. They are expected to be strongest downslope of higher terrain, over headlands and through passes, the hurricane center said.

The hurricane was passing south of the islands and will weaken due shear, the agency said.

"Hone is expected to produce an additional 3 to 5 inches of rainfall over mainly southeast and south facing slopes of the Big Island," the hurricane center said. "Additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches will be possible over 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.

Emergency shelters were open across the Big Island.

More than 20,000 customers were without power in the Hawaii, according to Poweroutages.US on Sunday morning. The state has 1.44 million residents, including 200,000 on the Big Island.

A peak wind gust of 73 mph at Kohala Ranch and rainfall amount of 15.48 inches at Hakalau was observed on the Big Island on Sunday morning, according to Accuweather.com .

Hone was named Thursday.

Hurricane Gilma, a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph, was about 1,365 miles east of Hilo in the 11 a.m. HST update . It was moving west-northwest at 10 mph.

Earlier Gilma was a Category 4 storm late Saturday with130 mph storms..

A gradual weakening is expected although Gilma should remain a hurricane through into Tuesday, the hurricane center said.