Felicia was downgraded to a tropical depression Tuesday morning as it approached Hawaii with maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph, but a flash flood watch and a high surf warning remained in effect, forecasters said.
The former hurricane was expected to weaken more in the next two days. However, a tropical storm watch was also still in place for Oahu and Maui County as a precaution. At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the center of the depression was located 140 miles east of Maui and 235 miles east of Honolulu.
The storm was moving west near 10 mph on a track that would pass over the Hawaiian Islands later Tuesday and Wednesday, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said.
Oahu and Maui County residents could expect winds increasing to up to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph, they said.
The weather service cautioned that Felicia could still bring pickets of heavy rainfall, leaving the flash flood watch in effect for Oahu, Kauai and Maui County.
A high surf warning also remained in effect for the east-facing shores of the islands, with wave heights reaching or exceeding 15 feet, forecasters said.
Another Pacific depression far off Hawaii was upgraded to Tropical Storm Maka, with top sustained winds near 40 mph. Maka's center was located about 1,060 miles west-southwest of Honolulu. The storm was moving west-northwest near 12 mph.