Hurricane Lowell is expected to create life-threatening conditions even as it is forecast to pass just west of the main Hawaiian Islands on Monday night. It could remain a major hurricane (those with sustained winds of 111 mph or higher) and is likely to create landslides, up to 10 inches of rain on Kauai and life-threatening waves in parts of the island chain, the National Hurricane Center said. Lowell turned north on Sunday, as a hurricane warning for the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National. The monument was issued. On Sunday afternoon, Kauai County, which covers the islands of Kauai and Niʻihau, was placed under a hurricane watch. Lowell was about 500 miles south-southwest of the community of Līhuʻe, on the westernmost Hawaiian island of Kauai, according to the hurricane center’s Sunday night advisory, and was moving at 9 mph. The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or higher. overnight Friday before losing some strength and settling into Category 4 limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday. On Sunday, its 120 mph sustained winds put it in Category 3. The hurricane center’s forecast cone shows Lowell passing just west of the archipelago’s main islands, from south to north, on Monday night. “Just because we’re on the edge of the cone doesn’t mean we’re safe,” John Bravender, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said at a news conference Friday. Maui could see up to 8 inches of rain, the National Hurricane Center said. But state officials are also focused on the storm’s impacts on Kauai and Ni’ihau, the latter occupying the map as the archipelago’s westernmost island with 84 residents. “Hurricane Lowell has made its expected northward turn and is still forecast to pass west of Kaua’i, but a slight eastward shift has increased the potential for tropical storm-force winds,” Gov. Josh Green said Sunday on that Ni’ihau, Kauai and the surfing mecca of Oahu could see “extremely dangerous surf” on south- and west-facing coasts on Monday and Tuesday. Ni’ihau and Kaua’i could see 12 to 14 inches of rain, he said, with downpours expected to begin Sunday afternoon and flash flooding and mudslides possible. On Friday, Green declared a state of emergency for Hawaii and. activated the National Guard to respond to the storm’s impacts. “We are taking Hurricane Lowell very seriously and are preparing now, before conditions deteriorate,” Green said in a statement Friday. “I urge everyone, especially those in Kaua’i County, to complete their preparations, follow official advisories and stay away from flooding, dangerous waves and other dangerous areas.” strategic and monitoring dams for possible breaches or overflows. Parts of Oahu and the Big Island suffered intense flooding and strong winds from Tropical Storm Lala last month. Lowell is joined by two other tropical cyclones swirling in the northern half of the Pacific this week: Tropical Storm Karina, a former Category 4 hurricane about 655 miles east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on Sunday, and Hurricane Marie, which churns about; 550 miles west-southwest of Punta Eugenia, Mexico, and producing sustained winds of 75 mph, a hair above the threshold for Category 1 status. A satellite image shows three storms in the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday: from left, Hurricane Lowell, Hurricane Karina and Tropical Storm Marie via APMarie is producing high waves that could bring life-threatening waves and rip currents to some locations in Southern California during the. holiday weekend, hurricane center meteorologists said Sunday. The trio is part of a Northeast Pacific hurricane season that includes 15 named storms to date, according to Colorado State University. The high number is likely due to unusually warm water and the presence of an El Niño weather phenomenon that could also bring historic rainfall to California, experts Daniel Gilford, a meteorologist and atmospheric scientist at the nonprofit research group Climate Central, said. El Niño’s warm sea surface temperatures are fueling powerful tropical cyclones ahead of fall. “If we have extra fuel, we can push the accelerator harder and as a result, these storms can become more intense,” he told NBC News. “It is a call to action to address climate change,” he said.
