Hawaii is under a state of emergency as Hurricane Lowell heads toward the islands, with dangerous weather expected to begin Monday.
The Category 3 hurricane had sustained winds of 125 mph (200 km/h) early Sunday and is expected to weaken to Category 2 before passing west of Kauai and Niihau late Monday into Tuesday. While the storm is forecast to stay offshore, it could still bring heavy rain, strong surf and flooding.
Tropical storm watches are in effect for Kauai and Niihau, where damaging winds are possible within 48 hours. Large waves of up to 14 feet are already hitting south-facing shores across the state.
Forecasters say Kauai, Niihau and the Big Island could receive 4 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated areas seeing up to 10 inches. The National Hurricane Center warns the storm could trigger flash flooding and mudslides, especially in mountainous areas.
Hurricane Lowell is the third tropical system to threaten Hawaii in just over three weeks during an unusually active Central Pacific hurricane season, driven in part by El Niño.
