Honolulu ? Several beach parks on Hawaii’s Big Island will be closed beginning this afternoon because of Hurricane Felicia, which is expected to increase wave heights as it approaches land, Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency officials said Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu, however, said Felicia would likely be downgraded to a tropical storm or tropical depression once it moves closer to the islands.

Felicia peaked Thursday as a Category 4 storm with winds topping 140 mph. But the weakening storm entered the Central Pacific Saturday as a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph.

The hurricane was about 800 miles east of Hilo Saturday morning, moving west-northwest at about 15 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Forecasters said hurricane-force winds swirled 35 miles from its center, while tropical storm-force winds extended 115 miles.