Honolulu Star-Advertiser-Hurricane Nolo
"Hurricane watch canceled for Hawaii Island as Nolo moves west."
Views expressed in this Hawaii news update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 26 September 2026, 2227 UTC.
Content and Source: "Honolulu Star-Advertiser."
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/09/26/breaking-news/hurricane-nolo-meanders-south-of-hawaii-island-bringing-showers-and-gusty-winds/
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsmonitor.blogspot.com).
Hurricane watch canceled for Hawaii island as Nolo moves west
COURTESY NOAA
The five-day forecast map for Hurricane Nolo as of 11 a.m. today
UPDATE: 11:25 a.m.
Hawaii island is no longer under a hurricane watch as Nolo continues to slowly move west and away from the island.
As of 11 a.m., Hurricane Lolo had 90 mph maximum sustained winds with higher gusts and was centered 160 miles south of South Point and 340 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, moving west at 5 mph, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Hurricane force winds of 74 mph or more extend up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend 150 miles.
While the hurricane watch has been canceled, the Big Island remains under a tropical storm warning and Maui County is still under a tropical storm watch. A flood watch remains in effect through this afternoon for Hawaii and Maui counties.
Nolo is expected to remain well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian islands as it picks up spreed while turning west then northwest early next week, CPHC said. “The models agree that Nolo will be clear of the main Hawaiian islands by the time it makes this turn,” forecasters said.
It is expected to grow into a major hurricane over the weekend, peaking with 130 mph maximum sustained winds as it passes hundreds of miles south-southwest of Kauai late Sunday night. Steady weakening is expected after it peaks and it is forecast to pass far west of Kauai on Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane.
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While Nolo does not pose a direct-hit threat, forecasters still warn of the following possible impacts:
>> Tropical storm conditions are occurring on Hawaii island and will continue into tonight, especially in areas of steep terrain.
>> Periods of heavy rain are expected to expand across the Big Island and eastern Maui through the weekend. Significant, life-threatening flooding and mudslides are possible, especially in areas of steep terrain across the eastern and southern portions of the Big Island and Maui. Across the remainder of Hawaii, lesser rainfall totals are expected.
>> Large and damaging waves are likely along portions of the Big Island’s coast through the weekend.
>> For Maui County, tropical storm-force gusts are occurring in areas of steep terrain. Strong and gusty winds are expected for all of the Hawaiian islands through the weekend.
The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for east shores of Oahu and Kauai through 6 p.m. Sunday, and for east and southeast shores of Maui, Molokai and the Big Island for the same time period. Waves from 9 to 12 feet are expected.
NWS also issued a wind advisory for Kauai County and Oahu through 6 p.m. Sunday with east winds 25 to 35 mph and gusts to 55 mph expected. “The strongest winds are expected on Oahu, especially over and downwind of terrain,” the advisory says. “Winds this strong can tear off shingles, knock down tree branches, blow away tents and awnings and make it difficult to steer, especially for drivers of high profile vehicles.
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8:55 a.m.
Hurricane Nolo started its expected turn westward this morning, starting to slowly move away from Hawaii island and avoiding a direct hit on the Kau district, which is still recovering from Hurricane Lala’s devastation in August.
Despite the welcome turn, Hawaii island remains under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning, and Maui County remains under a tropical storm watch with heavy rain, gusty winds and large waves expected. A flood watch covers both Hawaii and Maui counties.
As of about 8 a.m., Nolo had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph with higher gusts, was 145 miles south of South Point and 335 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, and moving west at 3 mph after being stationary overnight, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Hurricane force winds of 74 mph or more extend up to 45 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend 140 miles.
A wind gust of 62 mph was recently reported at a higher elevation on the northwest part of the Big Island and a weather station at Hanaula in the West Maui mountains reported a wind gust of 60 mph, according to CPHC.
Nolo “is expected to accelerate westward through the weekend,” forecasters said. “Then, a turn toward the northwest and north-northwest is forecast on Monday and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Nolo will remain well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian islands. … Nolo is predicted to strengthen into a major hurricane later tonight or early Sunday and peak in intensity by early Monday. Thereafter, some weakening is expected.”
Hawaiian Electric Co. said it has been responding throughout the night to outages throughout the Big Island. As of 7:30 a.m., crews were working to restore about 626 who are without power in Ocean View, Hamakua, lower Puna, Kau and North Kohala.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE
Hurricane Nolo was parked south of South Point this morning with its outer bands of rain continuing to hit parts of Hawaii island but forecasters expect it to start moving west soon, avoiding a direct landfall.
As of 5 a.m., Nolo was a strong Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was stationary, centered 145 miles south of South Point and 345 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Nolo is a relatively compact cyclone with hurricane-force winds of 74 mph or more extending up to 45 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extending up to 140 miles.
“Nolo continues to meander to the south of the Big Island of Hawaii,” CPHC forecasters said. It is forecast to start moving west this moving with “increasing forward speed,” they said. “On the forecast track, the center of Nolo will remain well south and southwest of the main Hawaiian islands.”
A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Hawaii island, as does a tropical storm watch for Maui County. A flood watch is in effect through this afternoon for both Hawaii and Maui counties. The National Weather Service has also issued:
>> A high surf advisory east shores of Oahu and Kauai through 6 p.m. Sunday, and for east and southeast shores of Maui, Molokai and the Big Island for the same time period. Waves from 9 to 12 feet are expected.
>> A wind advisory for Kauai County and Oahu through 6 p.m. Sunday with east winds 25 to 35 mph and gusts to 55 mph expected. “The strongest winds are expected on Oahu, especially over and downwind of terrain,” the advisory says. “Winds this strong can tear off shingles, knock down tree branches, blow away tents and awnings and make it difficult to steer, especially for drivers of high profile vehicles.”
Nolo current forecast track has it moving several hundreds of miles west of Kauai by about Monday.
“The track models are in good agreement on keeping the core of Nolo well to the south and southwest of the main Hawaiian islands during the next several days,” CPHC forecasters said this morning. “The hurricane is showing some ill effects of easterly shear and dry air, and its lack of forward motion could be resulting in some upwelling of cooler water.”
But as Nolo starts moving west, they said, it will move over warmer water and encounter less wind shear so it will strengthen to a major hurricane as it passes hundreds of miles south of the smaller islands. It will start moving northwest on Sunday.
Although no landfall for Hawaii is in the forecast, CPHC still warns of the following possible impacts from Nolo:
>> Wind: Tropical storm conditions are occurring and hurricane-force gusts are possible in portions of the warning area in areas of steep terrain. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the tropical storm watch area beginning today. Gusts to tropical storm force are occurring in Maui County in areas of steep terrain. Regardless of the exact track of Nolo, strong and gusty winds are possible for all of the Hawaiian islands through the weekend.
>> Rain: For the eastern and southern portions of the Big Island, Nolo will produce additional rainfall totals 4 to 8 inches with isolated totals of 10 inches, bringing storm totals to 10 to 20 inches with maximum amounts of 25 inches. This rainfall could produce significant, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain. For the western portions of the Big Island, rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected. For eastern Maui, additional rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected, bringing storm totals to 4 to 8 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches. Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are possible, especially in areas of high terrain. Across the remainder of the Hawaiian Islands, maximum storm total rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected.
>> Storm surge: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the 1 to 3 feet above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide. The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast and will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.
>> Surf: Swells generated by Nolo are affecting exposed east and south shores of the Big Island and are expected to spread westward and build through the weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
