Hurricane Iselle and Julio Path Maps 2014 and Forecast: Latest Updates on Double Trouble

A tropical storm warning was issued for the big island of Hawaii on Wednesday morning, as Hurricane Iselle continues on its path toward the island chain. According to reports, Hurricane Iselle has weekend since Monday degrading from a category 4 to a category 1 hurricane, but Hawaii still remains on alert.

There's a strong chance Hurricane Iselle, will hit Hawaii on Thursday, however the storm should weaken to only a tropical storm soon. As of Monday, Iselle had winds up to 85 mph, making it a category 1 hurricane when it was around 695 miles from Hilo, Hawaii.

The tropical storm warning went into effect for the Big Island and Hawaii County, with tropical storm watches in effect for Maui County and Oahu also issued on Wednesday. Iselle is expected to continue to weaken, but the hurricane center bulletin says large surge swells should reach Hawaii today with "possibly damaging" surf cutting into the coastlines starting later tonight and Thursday.

Heavy rains are expected to fall through Friday. Residents are warned to be aware of flash floods and mud slides. As AL.com reports, "The storm is encountering wind shear, which can tear tropical systems apart."

Iselle is also moving into drier air and that is helping to further weaken the storm. The hurricane center cautioned those in the islands to take Iselle seriously:

"It is important for people in the main Hawaiian Islands not to focus too closely on the exact forecast track of Iselle. With an average 48-hour track error of approximately 80 miles ... it is still too soon to say with much certainty which islands would be most likely to experience the worst weather ... and everyone should be prepared for the possibility of direct impacts from Iselle."

There are no coastal warnings in effect yet for Hurricane Julio. According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Fl, the storm is about 1500 miles from Hawaii and about the same distance from the coast of Mexico as of Wednesday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Hurricane Julio, located approximately 1400 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, according to the NHC.

Julio is currently traveling in a west-northwest direction, and is also expected to reduce in force, perhaps missing Hawaii altogether. There's no clear information on Julio's strength over the next five days or so, but the hurricane center had this to say, "Julio will remain in a light vertical wind shear environment through the forecast period.  Thus, the intensity is most likely going to be controlled by sea surface temperatures and nearby dry air.  While Julio is moving over gradually decreasing sea surface temperatures, some additional strengthening is possible during the next 12 hours or so."