Hurricane sends winds, rains, surf to Hawaii island as it passes the southwest

Saturday, October 18, 2014, 3:16 PM - Hurricane Ana was carving a path south of Hawaii early Saturday, producing high waves, strong winds and heavy rains that prompted a flood advisory.

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The centre of the powerful Pacific storm was about 274 km southwest of the Big Island as it passed early Saturday morning and about 362 kilometres from Honolulu, the National Weather Service said.

Hawai‘i Co. officials out in full-force this morning to ensure the community stays #Ana informed & safe! #MalamaPono pic.twitter.com/mrtIGMZuiq

— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) October 18, 2014

There was little chance for hurricane conditions on the islands, but a tropical storm watch remained in effect throughout the archipelago and the strongest winds were about 129 km/h, forecasters said.

Waves were expected to crest to 10 to 3 to 4.5 metres on both the North and South shores of Hawaii's islands late Saturday and to remain tall through Sunday. The National Weather Service had flood advisories in place for the Big Island until 7:30 a.m. HST (9:30 a.m. PDT, 1630 GMT) and Honolulu until 8:30 a.m. HST (10:30 a.m. PDT, 1730 GMT ).

Ana became a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day when it was about 370 km south of Hilo. 

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With files from The Associated Press and CNN