Three hurricanes are churning across the Pacific, with a powerful Category 4 storm approaching the Hawaiian Islands while moisture drawn from another system could deliver an unusual round of tropical rainfall to Southern California and neighboring parts of the Southwest.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Hawaii faces the most serious potential effects from three hurricanes currently moving across the Pacific, as Category 4 Hurricane Lowell approaches the region with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and forecasters monitor a projected turn that could bring the powerful storm near the islands early next week.
Lowell was most recently positioned south of Hilo, Hawaii, and is expected to make a pronounced turn toward the north. Kauai currently faces the greatest potential exposure based on the projected path, while neighboring Niʻihau is also being monitored closely.
“Kauai is currently considered the Hawaiian island most at risk, with nearby Niʻihau also being closely watched as the projected track shifts,” the California Post reported.
Officials on Kauai have begun preparing facilities that could be placed into service if deteriorating weather conditions make them necessary, although authorities said the storm remains too far away to determine exactly when those preparations might need to become operational.
“Facilities are being readied so they can be activated, if necessary, before hazardous conditions arrive. However, several days out, it is too early to provide an exact opening date or time,” Meghan Wright, Public Information Officer for the County of Kauai, told the outlet.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Hurricane Karina remains a major hurricane but currently presents substantially less danger to populated areas.
Karina, characterized as “the Pacific’s other powerhouse,” is a Category 3 hurricane producing winds near 115 mph. The storm is expected to weaken rapidly during the weekend while traveling north and east of Hawaii, with its projected path keeping it over open ocean and away from the islands.
Farther east, Hurricane Marie could have indirect effects on the mainland United States despite remaining hundreds of miles offshore.
Marie strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday evening and is forecast to move generally northward during the next several days before weakening over the Pacific several hundred miles from California.
Although Marie itself is not expected to approach the Southern California coastline, atmospheric conditions well above the storm could transport some of its tropical moisture toward the Southwest during the weekend.
High-altitude winds may funnel that moisture into Southern California, southern Nevada and the western Four Corners, “bringing potentially beneficial rain showers to the region,” according to the Post.
Such tropical moisture reaching Southern California is comparatively unusual, but forecasts cited in the report do not currently indicate that the expected rainfall will create a significant flooding threat in the region.
Conditions along the coast could nevertheless become hazardous even without a direct encounter with Marie.
South-facing beaches may see elevated surf and dangerous rip currents as energy generated by the hurricane travels across the Pacific. Those conditions could pose risks to swimmers and others entering the water.
The simultaneous presence of Lowell, Karina and Marie has produced an uncommon concentration of hurricanes across the tropical Pacific, though each storm currently presents a markedly different threat.
Lowell remains the system demanding the closest attention because of its Category 4 intensity and possible approach toward Hawaii. Karina is forecast to weaken while staying over open water, while Marie is expected to remain well offshore even as its tropical moisture becomes capable of influencing weather across portions of California, Nevada and the interior Southwest.
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