Tropical storm Norman headed away from Hawaii on Friday. Image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The Central Pacific Hurricane Center downgraded Norman to a tropical storm Friday as the system moved away from Hawaii.
The eye of the storm was located about 330 miles north-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and 375 miles east-northeast of Honolulu, the CPHC said in its 11 a.m. HST update. Norman was moving north-northwest at 9 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
The storm was expected to bring rain and high surf rising to rise up to 18 feet on east-facing shores of Hawaii Island and Maui. Surf in Oahu, Molokai and Kauai could rise up to 15 feet.
On the forecast track, Norman was expected to continue in a northwest direction, turning slightly more north-northwest Saturday.