Hawaii declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Lowell approaches, which is expected to pass west of the islands between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Although the forecast indicates that the center of the system will remain over the ocean, authorities warn of heavy rains, flooding, landslides, intense winds, and dangerous conditions on the coast.
Lowell was classified as a category 3 hurricane on Sunday, with sustained winds of up to 190 km/h. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm warning for Kauai and Niihau, the westernmost islands of the archipelago.
The forecast is that the hurricane will pass approximately 210 km west of Niihau and 275 km west of Kauai. Although the trajectory remains predominantly over the ocean, the effects of the edges of the system still pose risks to the local population.
