Hurricane Nolo moves past Hawaii; hurricane warning covers marine monument

Swells from Nolo to bring life-threatening surf to Hawaii shores

Hurricane Nolo cleared Hawaii’s main islands on Tuesday, with the storm’s center positioned well to the southwest and west of the populated island chain, the National Hurricane Center reported in its 8 a.m. HST update.

The NHC located Nolo’s eye about 245 miles south-southeast of French Frigate Shoals and 320 miles west-southwest of Lihue, Hawaii. The center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and was moving northward at 9 mph. The NHC described Nolo as “slightly weakened” from earlier peaks.

The center said Nolo had brought “dangerous conditions” to a Hawaiian marine monument as it moved away from the main Hawaiian Islands.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the NHC said. The center forecast Nolo would continue moving northward across the monument through Tuesday.

“On the forecast track, the center of Nolo will remain well southwest and west of the main Hawaiian Islands,” the NHC said. “Nolo will continue to move northward across the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument today. On Wednesday, Nolo will slow significantly, and turn toward the west, and continue generally westward through the latter part of the week.”

Hurricane-force winds from Nolo extended outward up to 45 miles from the storm’s center, while tropical-storm-force winds reached outward up to 140 miles, the forecasters reported.

Swells generated by Nolo were expected to affect south-facing shores of the main Hawaiian Islands through the next several days, the NHC said. Those swells were forecast to produce life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.