The hurricane watch for the Big Island has now been cancelled

US weather experts said Hurricane Flossie, now a Category 1 storm, was no longer expected to make landfall.

Nevertheless, authorities declared a state of emergency and told islanders to stock up on food and water supplies.

The tropical storm, with winds of up to 70mph (113km/h), is expected to pass south of the island.

Quake

Flossie spent most of its wrath at sea, where eight-metre (25ft) tall waves were reported.

The centre of the storm was located about 280 miles (451km) south-southeast of Honolulu, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said at 0900 GMT on Wednesday.

It said Flossie was moving north-northwest at about 10mph (16km/h).

All 56 public schools - as well as private schools - on the Big Island remain closed, and the island's 150,000 people have been told to stay clear of the coast on Wednesday.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle earlier signed an emergency proclamation activating the National Guard before the storm arrived.

Other islands in Hawaii's Pacific Island archipelago - including the main island of Oahu - were less affected by the storm, US weather experts said.

The hurricane followed a magnitude 5.6 earthquake on the Big Island on Monday that caused little damage and no reported injuries.

Hurricanes are rare in Hawaii, which lies in the heart of the Pacific Ocean.