Hurricane Lowell brings wind, high surf to Hawaii with closest approach expected Monday

News admin September 4, 2026 0 Comments

Hurricane Lowell brings wind, high surf to Hawaii with closest approach expected Monday

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hurricane Lowell remains a powerful category 4 system with a forecast track that takes a sharp right turn to the north over the weekend toward the western end of the state.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Lowell had maximum sustained winds had weakened slightly to near 130 miles per hour. It was about 495 miles south-southwest of Hilo, or 590 miles south of Lihue, and was moving to the west at 9 miles per hour.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center, while tropical storm force winds extend up to 140 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 to continue westward while gradually slowing down for the next few days. It is then forecast to make a sharp right turn to the north Saturday into Sunday. Its center is expected to track northward just to the west of Kauai Monday into Tuesday.

It is still forecast to be at or near major hurricane strength when making its closest approach to the islands.

There’s still a higher-than-usual level of uncertainty on the timing of the turn and how sharp it will be, and the National Hurricane Center said the range of possibilities is still wide, so be prepared for changes in the forecast heading into the Labor Day weekend.

Potential impacts into the weekend

WIND: As Lowell passes to the south of the state, it will tighten the pressure gradient, resulting in gusty northeast winds. Winds will be disrupted as a weakening Hurricane Karina moves north of the state and disrupts the trade wind flow. Potentially damaging wind (possible hurricane force winds 74 miles per hour or higher) will be possible Monday for Kauai and Niihau.

RAIN: The potential for flash flooding will be minimal through Saturday. Flash flooding impacts will increase statewide Sunday, depending on Lowell’s outer rain bands and track, with a significant potential for flooding on Kauai on Monday. Lowell’s forward speed should increase significantly Monday, which will shorten the time frame for extreme flooding.

SURF/SWELL: Surf will build, with advisory to warning level waves for all south shores over the next several days. East swells from Karina are expected Saturday into early next and produce high-end advisory to warning level waves for east shores. Lowell’s swells and peak high tides will potentially produce extreme surf conditions for Kauai County and possibly Oahu’s south and west shores Monday.

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. Northeast winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour with gusts to 50 miles per hour are possible.

A High Surf Advisory is also in effect until 6 a.m. Friday for southeast shores of all Hawaiian islands for waves up to 10 feet. Swells from Hurricane Lowell will steadily fill in across rest of the island chain today and will produce advisory level surf for south and southeast exposures throughout the state. High surf warnings may also be issued as time progresses.

Karina gradually weakens as it moves west

Meanwhile, Hurricane Karina has weakened slightly and is now a category 2 hurricane approaching the central North Pacific. It was 1,085 miles east of Hilo and was moving to the west-northwest at 9 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds near 105 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. The forecast calls for it to gradually weaken as it enters an drier environment and increasing vertical wind shear. It is now forecast to be a post-tropical cyclone as it nears the Hawaiian Islands to the northeast.

This continues to be an active hurricane season. While confidence in the forecast is low, there is the possibility that the state could be impacted by a major hurricane next week. Now is the time to make a plan for a worst-case scenario so you can take action if and when needed.

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

Data provided by the National Hurricane Center.