Hurricane Lowell has moved away from Hawaii’s main islands after passing just west of Niihau as a Category 2 hurricane. As of 2 a.m. local time Tuesday (8 a.m. ET), the storm’s center was 215 miles west-northwest of Honolulu, moving north at 18 mph.
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Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph as it approached Hawaii, just shy of the Category 3 threshold of 111 mph. By 2 a.m. local time, Lowell’s maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly to 105 mph.
A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for Kauai and Niihau, with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains persisting. A tornado watch is also in effect until 4 a.m. local time.
A Hurricane Warning also remains in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in the northern Hawaiian Islands.
Oahu, where Honolulu is located, is under a Tropical Storm Warning.
Lowell is forecast to turn toward the northwest and west and slow down Wednesday and Thursday after passing the main Hawaiian Islands, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s 2 a.m. update.
Lowell’s impacts
Even as the storm’s center moves away, Lowell is expected to bring four to eight more inches of rain for Kauai, with total rainfall total rainfall from the storm reaching as much as 24 inches in some areas. The Big Island is expected to see an additional three to eight inches of rain with as much as 12 inches possible in some areas.
The additional rain could trigger flash flooding and mudslides across Kauai and portions of the Big Island. Fox News reported that Lowell knocked out power to 90% of Kauai.
Oahu and Maui County are expected to receive an additional two to five inches of rain from the storm.
The storm has also produced 12- to 20-foot waves in some areas. True to Hawaii style, many experienced surfers braved the weather Tuesday to catch a wave before the worst of the storm moved in.
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