Lowell's close pass is bringing damaging winds, flooding rain and dangerous surf to Hawaii
Hurricane Lowell’s close pass is bringing Hawaii damaging winds, flooding rain and dangerous surf, with the greatest impacts focused on the western islands.
Strong winds swept across Kauaʻi on Sept. 7 as Hurricane Lowell approached Hawaii, bringing power outages, heavy rain and dangerous surf.
Hawaii is facing wind, rain and pounding surf from yet another hurricane this season as Lowell tracks dangerously close to the westernmost islands.
As of Tuesday morning HST, Hurricane Lowell was a Category 1 hurricane moving north-northeast at 18 mph and was located about 285 miles northwest of Honolulu. Around 11 p.m. (HST) Monday, Lowell made its closest approach as its center passed 35-40 miles of the western shores of Ni'ihau.
Lowell made the northward turn over the extended holiday weekend as forecast, with the center passing west of the populated islands. Even though Hurricane Lowell did not make landfall and is moving away from Hawaii, significant impacts will still occur across the islands, particularly Kauai and Ni'ihau for a time on Tuesday.
Hurricane Lowell in the Pacific Ocean as it passes just west of the islands late on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 (HST). (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
Ni'ihau experienced sustained hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph. The eyewall of Lowell may have passed over the uninhabited Ka'Ula bird sanctuary, which is located about 22 miles southwest of Ni'ihau. As more data come in, the maximum observed wind gust was 92 mph on Kauai.
"Lowell was a large hurricane as it approached and passed just west of Hawaii during the Labor Day weekend," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. Around the time of closest approach, Monday night, local time, hurricane-force winds of 74 mph or greater extended 60 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extended 160 miles from the center. Just days ago, Lowell peaked as a 160-mph Category 5 hurricane.
"The hurricane is passing close enough for rain and wind impacts to occur across the islands of Kauai, Ni'ihau and O'ahu on Tuesday. Heavy downpours can also occur across the rest of the islands, which will bring flash flooding and mudslides," said DaSilva. "Wind gusts of 40-60 mph will continue across Ni'ihau and the higher elevations of Kauai into Tuesday evening, local time."
The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for wind gusts is 100 mph.
Wind impacts are varying significantly across Hawaii because of the mountainous terrain. Higher elevations, ridges and locations closer to the center of the storm have experienced stronger gusts.
As of 9 a.m. (HST) Tuesday, 92% of Kauai County and 6% of Honolulu County are without power; a total of 52,000 people across all islands are without power.
As Lowell continues to send squalls across the islands, there may be a few waterspouts or tornadoes.
Due to flooding rain, gusty winds, storm surge, dangerous surf and rip currents, Lowell is rated a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in Hawaii.
Given that some infrastructure on the Big Island is still in recovery mode following storms earlier in the hurricane season, even low amounts of rain could cause problems.
A general 1-2 inches of rain is forecast to fall across all islands, with higher amounts of 4-8 inches across the higher terrain and northern-facing mountain slopes of the other islands.
Higher totals of 8-12 inches are most likely where tropical downpours interact with mountainous terrain closer to the storm's center across the higher elevations of Kauai and the island of Ni'ihau. There, AccuWeather Local StormMax™ for rainfall is 25 inches, highlighting the potential for exceptionally high rainfall in a small area where repeated downpours focus.
Flash flooding, mudslides and road closures are expected, particularly in steep terrain and low-lying areas. Travel disruptions are possible where heavy rain overwhelms drainage and causes water to cover roads.
Because Lowell is so large and has spent many hours as a major hurricane with winds of 111 mph or greater, the storm has generated and will continue to produce large swells that will spread outward from the center.
A storm surge of 1-3 feet is forecast around portions of the islands, including areas near Honolulu. The greatest surge will be over the westernmost islands.
The surge could inundate low-lying coastal areas and affect roads, beaches and other shoreline infrastructure. Rough surf and beach erosion will compound coastal impacts during this period.
An already strong El Niño is fueling a busy tropical season for the eastern and central Pacific. So far this year, 15 tropical depressions and storms in the eastern and central Pacific, including six hurricanes, have formed. AccuWeather meteorologists are expecting up to 22 named storms with nine to 13 hurricanes for the eastern portion of the basin alone.
A new tropical storm is forecast to develop in the coming days just west of Mexico. The next name on the list for the 2026 eastern Pacific hurricane season is Norbert.
AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes
In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes is based on a broad range of important factors. In order to better communicate a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm on lives and livelihoods, the scale covers not only wind speed but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss.
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