Hurricane warning issued for western Hawaii as Lowell approaches

The National Hurricane Center posted a hurricane warning for western Hawaii’s Kauai County late Sunday Hawaii time as Hurricane Lowell — a major Category 3 storm — moved toward the area packing 115 mph sustained winds.

Kauai County includes Kauai and Niihau islands. The warning extends to parts of the vast Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which covers almost 583,000 square miles of ocean and ten of Hawaii’s islands.

The Miami-based hurricane center forecast that Lowell’s center will move just west of the main Hawaiian Islands on Monday night, then slow down by early Wednesday after passing them.

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

Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles from the storm’s center.

“Hurricane Lowell is expected to produce additional rainfall totals of 6 to 10 inches for Kauai, with maximum totals of 14 inches possible,” the center said. “For the Big Island, 4 to 8 inches of rain is expected with isolated totals of 12 inches possible. For Oahu, 4 to 6 inches of rain is expected with isolated totals of 8 inches possible.”

That rain could bring “significant” flash flooding and mudslides, especially in Kauai County and parts of Hawaii’s Big Island, the center stressed.

In addition, Lowell could hit Kauai County with a storm surge of up to three feet, according to the center, and bring “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions across many of the Hawaiian islands.”

What’s more, several tornadoes could be spawned near Kauai and Niihau Monday afternoon through Monday night, the center said, and a few twisters are possible across the rest of Hawaii, the center pointed out.