Hurricane Flossie was expected to weaken today and tomorrow as it moved over colder waters and closer to the Islands, forecasters said.

The storm reached Category 4 strength yesterday. At 11 p.m., Flossie had intensified with maximum sustained winds of 135 mph about 875 miles east-southeast of Hilo.

"Although the current forecast keeps the center of Flossie south of the Hawaiian islands ... a closer approach cannot be ruled out," the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said in a statement.

The storm was traveling west at about 14 mph.

But it was expected to drop below hurricane strength by Tuesday afternoon.

Forecasters predict the storm will pass well south of the Islands as a tropical storm late Tuesday or early Wednesday, spurring little more than 8- to 12-foot surf and some rain on the Big Island.

However, officials stressed the storm track could change, and urged residents to be prepared.

"Any time a hurricane or tropical storm is in our region, everyone should exercise caution," said Peter Hirai, acting director of the city Department of Emergency Management.

A crew will fly out of Travis Air Force Base in California today to survey the storm from overhead, and feed more accurate data on the storm to the National Weather Service.

For updates on Hurricane Flossie, go to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center Web site at www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc.

Meanwhile, residents are asked to heed preparedness tips, including: