Hurricane Olivia weakens, to hit Hawaii on Wednesday

Hurricane Olivia is weakening but forecasters are predicting the storm will hit the Hawaiian Islands as a tropical storm on Wednesday.

Meteorologists at weather.com say Hawaii residents should expect heavy rainfall, gusty winds and high surf.

Last month, Hurricane Lane caused major flooding in parts of Hawaii.

Olivia, a Category 1 storm, is approaching Hawaii from the east. On Sunday night, it was more than 500 miles east of Hilo, moving westward.

Peak hurricane season

The second week of September is the peak of hurricane season, so the flurry of activity (with Florence approaching the U.S.) is no surprise to forecasters. After the current round of storms, though, long-range models suggest a lull for several weeks.

Jeff Masters, co-founder of the Weather Underground service, said there’s a chance for another active period by mid-October, which would mark the end of the busiest stretch of the season.

“I don’t think we’re quite done yet,” he said, “but certainly as far as September goes, this is the big week.”

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.