Olaf Weakening After Bringing High Surf to Hawaii

Olaf has weakened to a tropical storm over a thousand miles east-northeast of Hawaii. The former hurricane brought high surf to Hawaii the last few days, but that is now subsiding.

Here is the latest on Olaf:

• Olaf is located more than 1,000 miles east-northeast of the Big Island of Hawaii.
• Olaf is moving to the east-northeast and will continue to weaken, becoming a remnant low soon.
• This storm is not a direct threat to Hawaii or any other land areas.
• However, high surf generated by Olaf has affected the Hawaiian Islands the last few days, but has now subsided.
• Last Monday morning, Oct. 19, Olaf strengthened into a major hurricane (Category 3 or stronger), and by Monday afternoon had rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane. Olaf remained a Category 4 until early Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, when it was downgraded to a strong Category 3 hurricane.
• According to the National Hurricane Center, Olaf was the farthest south forming major hurricane on record in the eastern Pacific basin. Reliable records in that basin began in 1971.
• Hurricane specialist Eric Blake from the National Hurricane Center says Olaf was the first tropical cyclone on record to track from the eastern Pacific basin (east of 140 degrees W longitude) to the central Pacific basin (west of 140 degrees W longitude), then back to the eastern Pacific basin again.

Latest Storm Status and Satellite Image

   Forecast Path, Intensity

Original Article: http://www.wunderground.com/news/tropical-depression-nineteen-e-tropical-storm-hurricane-olaf-eastern-pacific