Iselle Downgraded to Tropical Storm

HONOLULU — The National Weather Service has downgraded Iselle to a tropical storm.

Iselle was classified as a tropical storm 11 p.m. Thursday Hawaii Standard Time when its winds slowed to 70 mph, putting it below the minimum of 74 mph for a hurricane.

See also: All the Records That Hawaii's Hurricane Iselle Could Break Today

The storm is weakening because of several factors, including wind shear chopping at the system and the Big Island's terrain above the water, said Chris Brenchley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

"It can start to feel the drain," he said. "As wind blows into the terrain, the terrain kind of redirects the wind." Read more...

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