Hurricane Lowell weakens slightly to Category 4 as track forecast edges closer to Hawaii

News admin September 3, 2026 0 Comments

Hurricane Lowell weakens slightly to Category 4 as track forecast edges closer to Hawaii

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hurricane Lowell has weakened slightly, though it remains a powerful category 4 system with a forecast track that takes a sharp right turn to the north over the weekend.

At 5 p.m. Wednesday, Lowell had maximum sustained winds near 155 miles per hour. It was about 440 miles south of Hilo and was moving to the west at 10 miles per hour.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, while tropical storm force winds extend up to 90 miles.

Some fluctuations in intensity are expected, however Lowell is expected to remain a major hurricane for the next several days.

The official forecast track for Lowell shows its center passing south of the state for the next several days. However, the official forecast track shows the hurricane slowing down and making a sharp right turn to the north Saturday into Sunday, taking its center to the west of Kauai.

The model consensus has shifted a little eastward at day 4-5, and the new forecast track is again nudged a little eastward at these times.

There’s uncertainty on the timing of the turn and how sharp it will be, so be prepared for changes in the forecast heading into the Labor Day weekend.

Local alerts issued for Hawaii

The National Weather Service has extended a Wind Advisory until 6 a.m. Friday. it also has been expanded to include portions of Oahu, as well as the usual areas of Maui County and Hawaii Island that are exposed to strong trade winds resulting from the strong pressure gradient as Lowell passes to the south. East winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts to 55 miles per hour are expected.

A High Surf Advisory is also in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday for southeast shores of all Hawaiian islands for waves of 7 to 10 feet.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Karina has weakened slightly and is still a major category 4 hurricane approaching the central North Pacific. It was 1,325 miles east of Hilo and was moving to the west-northwest at 10 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds near 130 miles per hour. A slow weakening trend is forecast for the next few days.

Karina is forecast to enter the central Pacific basin late Thursday into early Friday. It is currently no threat to land, and it’s too early to tell exactly where it will go, but the official forecast shows its center 600 miles east of Hilo on Saturday.

This continues to be an active hurricane season. Be prepared for the potential of some effects on Hawaii weather conditions from these two tropical cyclones from Friday through next Wednesday (Sept. 4 through Sept. 9).

Your First Alert Weather Team will continue to monitor both systems closely over the next several days.

Data provided by the National Hurricane Center.