Hurricane Lowell Forecast Toward Hawaii

Major Hurricane Lowell is churning through the Central Pacific and is forecast to turn toward the Hawaiian Islands early next week, prompting alerts from emergency officials and forecasters. As of Thursday morning, September 3, 2026, the powerful Category 4 storm was located hundreds of miles south of the Hawaiian archipelago, carrying maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. Forecasters anticipate Lowell will maintain its major hurricane intensity for several days over warm ocean waters and low wind shear conditions. The storm is currently tracking westward but is expected to make a significant turn northward or north-northeastward over the weekend of September 5-6. This shift is attributed to an approaching high-altitude atmospheric trough weakening the ridge currently steering the hurricane. By early next week, Lowell is projected to accelerate generally northward, potentially passing near or west of the westernmost main Hawaiian Islands by Monday, September 7. While the precise long-range track remains uncertain, forecasters warn that Lowell could still be at or near major hurricane strength when it approaches the islands.