Hurricane Lowell passes west of Niihau as damaging winds and heavy rain hit Hawaii

At 11 p.m. HST Monday, Lowell was located about 90 miles (145 km) west of Lihue, Hawaii, and 190 miles (305 km) west-northwest of Honolulu. The hurricane was moving north-northeast at 18 mph (30 km/h), with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 963 mb.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for Kauai County, including Kauai and Niihau, while a tropical storm warning covers Oahu. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 195 miles (315 km).

Barking Sands on western Kauai recorded a wind gust of 84 mph (135 km/h), while Lihue Airport reported a gust of 79 mph (127 km/h). Tropical-storm-force gusts were also reported on Oahu.

The storm is expected to pass near or just west of Niihau overnight into early Tuesday, then turn northwest and west and slow through midweek. Forecasters expect Lowell to weaken after moving away from the Hawaiian Islands, with the system forecast to become a tropical storm within about 36 hours.

The National Hurricane Center said heavy rain is expected across the islands through Wednesday. Kauai could receive another 4 to 8 inches of rain, with maximum storm totals of up to 24 inches possible. The Big Island could see an additional 3 to 8 inches, while Oahu and Maui County could receive 2 to 5 inches. The rainfall could trigger significant flash flooding and mudslides, particularly on Kauai and parts of the Big Island.

Large waves will continue to affect exposed coastlines, producing dangerous coastal flooding, while swells from Lowell are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents. Storm surge could reach 2 to 4 feet in Kauai County and up to 1 foot on Oahu. Several tornadoes are possible near Kauai and Niihau overnight.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Hurricane Karina had strengthened into a Category 4 storm in the eastern Pacific.