Hurricane warning issued for western Hawaii as Lowell approaches

Hurricane Lowell, a major Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115 mph, was moving toward western Hawaii as the National Hurricane Center issued a warning for Kauai County.

The warning covers Kauai and Niihau and extends into parts of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, an ocean area covering almost 583,000 square miles and 10 Hawaiian islands. The hurricane center forecast Lowell’s center would pass just west of the main Hawaiian islands on Monday night and slow by early Wednesday.

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Gradual weakening is expected through Tuesday. However, Lowell is forecast to remain a hurricane as it passes near the Hawaiian Islands.

Forecasters expected the storm to weaken gradually through Tuesday, but said it would remain a hurricane as it passed near the islands. Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles from Lowell’s center.

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significant

The storm could bring another 6 to 10 inches of rain to Kauai, with isolated totals reaching 14 inches. The Big Island could receive 4 to 8 inches, with isolated totals of 12 inches, while Oahu could see 4 to 6 inches and isolated totals of 8 inches.

The rainfall could cause significant flash flooding and mudslides, particularly in Kauai County and parts of the Big Island. The center also forecast a storm surge of up to 3 feet in Kauai County, life-threatening surf and rip currents across many islands, and several possible tornadoes near Kauai and Niihau from Monday afternoon through Monday night.

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life-threatening surf and rip current conditions across many of the Hawaiian islands