Hawaii Tribune-Herald
"Lowell expected to become hurricane and move into Central Pacific next week."
Views expressed in this Hawaii Island news update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 28 August 2026, 2310 UTC.
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsmonitor.blogspot.com).
Lowell expected to become hurricane and move into Central Pacific next week
The hyperactive 2026 hurricane season continues, with new tropical storms forming in the East Pacific on Thursday, one of which is currently forecast to be a hurricane several hundred miles southeast of Hawaii Island next week.
Tropical Storms Lowell and Karina were strengthening this morning, and both are expected to become hurricanes in the coming days. Karina, which is closer to Mexico, is forecast to become a major hurricane far from land by Sunday.
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Of the two new storms, Lowell is of much higher concern for Hawaii.
As of this morning, Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and was 1,560 miles east-southeast of Hilo, moving north-northwest at 5 mph. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 80 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Lowell is forecast to turn toward the west Saturday and continue in that direction into next week, according to the NHC.
“Steady strengthening” is expected during the next several days, with Lowell becoming a hurricane over the weekend, forecasters said. “It should be noted that some of the regional hurricane models suggest a faster rate of intensification is possible,” they said.
The current five-day forecast map has an intensifying Lowell entering the Central Pacific as a hurricane by Monday and strengthening into a powerful Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds by Wednesday, when it is expected to be about 600 miles southeast of Hilo.
Hawaii is still recovering from the devastation of Lala, which slowly passed within 30 miles of South Point on Aug. 15 as a Category 1 hurricane and then moved farther south of the smaller islands on Aug. 16.
President Donald Trump approved a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii on Wednesday to help the state recover from Lala’s destruction, especially in the Ka‘u District of the Big Island.
Lala has persisted as a tropical cyclone for about 15 days, traveling more than a couple thousand miles over the Pacific during that time, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Oahu. It was a post-tropical cyclone this morning about 680 miles north of Kure Atoll, with 40 mph winds, and was heading toward the western Pacific.
Tropical Storm Karina, meanwhile, had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph at 5 a.m. today and was centered 750 miles south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, moving northwest at 10 mph.
Karina is also expected to strengthen into a hurricane this weekend and become a major Category 3 hurricane by Sunday night before weakening early next week. Karina, however, is moving away from land and is only bringing higher surf to Baja California, according to the NHC.
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