Hurricane Nolo moving slowly westward; gusty winds, rain, waves still threats

News admin September 26, 2026 0 Comments

Hurricane Nolo moving slowly westward; gusty winds, rain, waves still threats

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hurricane Nolo has begun moving westward and should pick up forward speed through the day, forecasters said.

A hurricane watch that was posted for Hawaii County has been discontinued, but other alerts, including the tropical storm watch and flood watch, continue for the island.

While Nolo’s center is remaining south of the main Hawaiian islands, significant flash flooding remains possible for Hawaii Island, along with damaging waves and storm surges.

The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nolo’s maximum sustained winds had diminished slightly to 90 miles per hour, making it a category 1 hurricane.

Hurricane force winds extend up to 35 miles from the center, while tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 150 miles.

Nolo’s center is now moving away from Hawaii Island and is about 160 miles south of South Point, or 340 miles south-southeast of Honolulu.

On the forecast track, the center of Nolo will remain well south of the main Hawaiian Islands.

Although Nolo’s intensity has diminished in the latest observations, it is still forecast to intensify into a major hurricane Sunday and peak in intensity early Monday, after which it will steadily weaken.

The hurricane remains in an area with very warm sea surface temperatures and abundant moisture which will cause rapid intensification.

Potential threats

WIND: Tropical storm conditions are occurring over portions of Hawaii Island and will be possible for parts of Maui County in areas of steep terrain.

Strong and gusty winds are possible for all of the Hawaiian Islands through the weekend.

RAIN: For the eastern and southern portions of the Big Island, Nolo will produce additional rainfall totals 3 to 6 inches with isolated totals of 10 inches, bringing storm totals to 10 to 20 inches with maximum amounts of 25 inches. This rainfall could still produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.

For the western portions of the Big Island, rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected. For eastern Maui, additional rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected, bringing storm totals to 4 to 8 inches. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are possible, especially in areas of high terrain.

Across the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands, maximum storm total rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected.

STORM SURGE: The threat of a significant storm surge has diminished, but water levels will remain elevated due to persistent wave action.

SURF: Swells generated by Nolo are affecting exposed east- and south-facing shores of the Big Island and are expected to spread westward and build through the weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Weather Alerts

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Hawaii County.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe.

A Flood Watch remains in effect for the islands of Hawaii and Maui County through 6 p.m. Saturday.

A High Surf Advisory is in effect for the east and southeast shores of Molokai and Maui, and the east shores of Kauai and Oahu.

A Wind Advisory is in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday for Niihau, Kauai and Oahu. East winds of 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts near 55 miles per hour will be possible.