14 Aug 2007

Hurricane Flossie threatens Hawaii island

1:39 pm on 14 August 2007

The island of Hawaii declared a state of emergency, closing schools and setting up shelters, as Hurricane Flossie approached its southeastern waters.

Flossie has been weakened from a Category 4 to a Category 3 but the US National Weather Service says it remains a dangerous hurricane with a clear, well-defined eye.

It is forecasting winds of up to 80 kilometres an hour, surf of five metres and up to 25 centimetres of rain.

The last recorded hurricane to hit the island of Hawaii was the Kohala Cyclone in 1871.