Hurricane Lowell remained a powerful storm in the Pacific on Tuesday, but forecasters predicted it would gradually weaken as it continues to move past Hawaii. Even so, officials warned the hurricane could continue generating hazardous surf, heavy rain and gusty winds across parts of the island chain, prompting residents to closely monitor forecasts and advisories. While Lowell is not expected to strike Hawaii directly, the storm remains large enough to pose risks across the state, particularly along exposed coastlines.
Forecasters say dangerous surf, localized flooding and strong winds could still affect portions of the islands as the hurricane passes nearby and begins its anticipated weakening trend. Hurricane Lowell is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicted, and it will remain a tropical storm at least through Sunday. As of the most recent NHC update on Tuesday morning, Hurricane Lowell was around 145 miles northwest of Lihue, on Kauai, and moving north, away from Hawaii, at 18 miles per hour.
Hurricane Lowell is currently a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 mph. Numerous warnings remain in place as the storm treks further away from Hawaii, with NHC forecasters warning that wind, rain, storm surge, and dangerous surf remain hazardous to Hawaii. Although Lowell is a Category 1 hurricane, winds are gusting much stronger than its sustained 90 mph.
Animated weather footage from windy.com shows some of the strongest gusts clocking in at over 115 mph. Heavy rain accompanying the storm is also expected to continue, with as much as nearly 3 inches of rain expected over the next 24 hours in Kauai, according to Windy.com. Waves also remain dangerous, with seas as high as 35 feet near the storm's eye, Windy.com showed.
Closer to Hawaii, waves are still large enough to prompt numerous warnings from the local weather office. Hawaii remained under numerous weather alerts and warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS) on Tuesday. The full list of warnings includes: Forecasters expect Hurricane Lowell to continue weakening as it moves away from Hawaii, but its lingering moisture and large swells will keep impacts in place through Tuesday.
Flooding rains, gusty winds and hazardous surf are expected to gradually subside later in the day, allowing many warnings and advisories to expire by Tuesday evening if conditions improve as forecast. Residents are still being urged to monitor updates from the NWS, as localized flooding and dangerous ocean conditions may persist even after the storm pulls farther away. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Sam Wilson.
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