A Category 3 hurricane named “Lowell” is approaching the Hawaiian Islands, and it is expected to start impacting the state of Hawaii as early as Monday. Due to the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, hurricane activities in the Pacific region have intensified, making this the third storm to threaten Hawaii within three weeks.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), as of Sunday morning, “Lowell” remains a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 miles per hour (about 193.1 kilometers per hour) and is moving north at a speed of 6 miles per hour (about 9.7 kilometers per hour). As “Lowell” goes through the normal cycle of a major hurricane, its intensity has been fluctuating across different hurricane categories.
Forecasts predict that as “Lowell” nears Hawaii, it will weaken to a Category 2 hurricane. The NHC states that from late Monday to early Tuesday, the hurricane’s center is expected to pass approximately 110 miles west of Niihau or 150 miles west of Kauai.
This distance means that the strongest winds of the hurricane will remain over the ocean, but Hawaii can still expect to experience dangerous surf and heavy rainfall.
The Hawaii Department of Transportation has indicated that airlines may cancel flights on Sunday and Monday before the arrival of Hurricane Lowell. Passengers are advised to contact the airlines directly for information regarding flight delays, cancellations, or other changes before heading to the airport.
With the unusually intense hurricane activity in the Pacific Ocean, “Lowell” marks the third storm system threatening Hawaii within three weeks.
As of Saturday, hurricanes “Karina,” “Lowell,” and “Marie” were simultaneously active in the Pacific Ocean, a scenario not seen in the region for a decade. The National Hurricane Center of the United States is currently monitoring a potential fourth storm system in the coastal waters of Mexico.
The National Hurricane Center of the United States notes that the Pacific typically sees only eight hurricanes per year, making the simultaneous presence of three hurricanes a rare occurrence.
As storm activities escalate in the Pacific, the United Nations has warned that this year’s El Niño phenomenon is expected to be the strongest in 40 years.
Prior warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggested a 69% likelihood of this El Niño event becoming the strongest in 70 years.