Hurricane Lowell was moving closer to Kauai on Monday evening. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Hurricane Lowell was located at latitude 20.3°N and longitude 161.3°W which put the center about 170 miles (275 km) southwest of Lihue, Hawaii. Lowell was moving toward the north-northeast at 18 m.p.h. (30 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 110 m.p.h. (175 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 130 m.p.h. (210 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 956 mb.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Kauai County including Kauai and Niihau.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Oahu.
A weather station at the Lihue Airport was reporting a sustained wind speed of 32 m.p.h (52 km/h) and a wind gust of 51 m.p.h (82 km/h).
Hurricane Lowell was a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it moved closer to Kauai on Monday evening. A small circular eye was at the center of Lowell’s circulation. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Hurricane Lowell. Storms near the center generated upper level divergence that pumped more mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass in the upper levels was a little less than to the convergence of mass in the lowers levels of the atmosphere. So, the surface pressure was increasing slowly.
The distribution of wind speeds in Hurricane Lowell was fairly symmetrical. Winds to hurricane force extended out 65 miles (105 km) from the center of Lowell’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 175 miles (280 km) from the center of Hurricane Lowell.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Hurricane Lowell is 19.2. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 22.3 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 41.5. Hurricane Lowell is similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Gustav when Gustav hit Louisiana in 2008.
Hurricane Lowell will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Lowell will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. It will move under the southwestern part of an upper level low that is north of Hawaii. The upper level low will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Lowell’s circulation. Those winds will cause the vertical wind shear to increase. Hurricane Lowell will continue to weaken on Tuesday because of the increase in vertical wind shear.
The upper level low that is north of Hawaii will pull Hurricane Lowell toward the north-northeast during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Hurricane Lowell will pass just to the west of Kauai in a few hours.
Bands in the eastern side of Lowell will bring strong winds and heavy rain to Kauai and Niihau on Monday night. Heavy rain could cause flash floods in some locations.
Flood Watches are in effect for Kauai and Niihau.
Bands in the eastern periphery of Hurricane Lowell could also drop heavy rain on Maui, Lanai, , Molokai, Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Kahoolawe.
Flood Watches are in effect for Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Kahoolawe.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Marie continued to weaken gradually southwest of San Diego.
At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Monday the center of Tropical Storm Marie was located at latitude 25.1°N and longitude 125.9°W which put the center about 745 miles (1200 km) southwest San Diego, California. Marie was moving toward the west-northwest at 8 m.p.h. (13 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 994 mb.