The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued a hurricane warning for the westernmost Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau as Category 3 Hurricane Lowell approaches the US Pacific island chain. The core of Lowell is expected to pass just west of Niihau on Monday night or early Tuesday. The NHC has urged residents to complete preparations to protect life and property immediately.
Severe Weather Expected
The NHC warned that a combination of storm surge and tide could flood normally dry areas near the coast in Kauai and Niihau. A flash flood warning has been issued for Kauai. Additionally, a tropical storm warning has been issued for the island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located.
Hurricane Lowell is expected to bring heavy rainfall, with forecasts of 6-10 inches for Kauai and 4-8 inches for Oahu and the Big Island. The storm is currently about 355 miles southwest of Honolulu and is moving in a north-northeasterly direction.
Hurricane's Path and Impact
Lowell, with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, is expected to gradually weaken on Tuesday and then turn toward the northwest early Wednesday after passing the Hawaiian islands. The storm briefly reached Category 5 strength earlier this week but has since weakened to a Category 3.
Hawaii is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Lala, which grazed the southern part of the Big Island last month, bringing destructive winds and flash floods. The presence of a near-record strength El Nino climate episode is warming the waters, promoting hurricane formation in the tropical Pacific.
El Nino, the warming phase of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific known as the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), occurs every two to seven years. ENSO promotes hurricane formation in the tropical Pacific while decreasing their likelihood in the Atlantic. Climate change is also increasing El Nino's global weather impacts.
