Hurricane Lane has weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm on its way to Hawaii.

But it is still the second highest category, and residents are preparing by stockpiling water, food and other necessities.

Lane is expected to reach Hawaii, the largest island in the archipelago of the same name, on Wednesday evening local time with winds of nearly 70 meters per second.

US President Donald Trump, in a tweet, urges residents to prepare for the storm, which is expected to bring large amounts of rainfall and large waves.

”"The center of Hurricane Lane will move dangerously close to the Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday," warns the US National Weather Service NWS.

The hurricane is expected to continue weakening over the next two days but still poses a threat to the islands. Regardless of the exact path the storm takes, the NWS warns of potentially life-threatening consequences.

"It's not about whether they will be affected or not. They will see effects from this storm," says Brock Long, director of the US emergency management agency FEMA.

Governor David Ige has declared a state of emergency for the island of Hawaii to facilitate emergency response efforts after the hurricane.

”"Hurricane Lane is not a gentle hurricane. I have never seen such dramatic changes in forecasts as I have seen for this storm," he said in a statement.

”I urge our residents and visitors to take this threat seriously and prepare for widespread impact.”

The US Navy has begun moving some of its ships based in Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu to avoid being hit by the storm.

Hurricanes rarely hit Hawaii. The last major storm to hit the state was nearly 30 years ago, when Hurricane Iniki killed six people and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Source: sverigesradio.se