Several inches of rain continue to soak Hawaii as Nolo weakens to tropical storm, begins turn into Pacific

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Nolo weakens to Tropical Storm as it begins to pull away from Hawaiian Islands

Nolo has weakened to a Tropical Storm and is beginning its move westward, away from Hawaii, into the open Pacific. Rain is still expected across the island of Kaua'i through Thursday, but there is no threat of flooding.

THE TAKEAWAY

• Nolo weakened to a tropical storm on Wednesday.
• Rain is expected across Kaua'i through Thursday, with no flooding expected.
• The system will turn away from Hawaii later in the week.

Tropical Storm Nolo is preparing to complete a remarkable journey around Hawaii, set to dump a final round of rain on Kaua'i as it passes about 250 miles west of the state's westernmost island, after sweeping south of the Big Island over the weekend.

From there, Nolo is forecast to reintensify later this week and remain a long-lived hurricane for more than two weeks as it crosses into the open Western Pacific.   

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Nolo peaked as a monster Category 4 storm on Monday after rapidly intensifying several hundred miles south of Hawaii.

On Saturday, Nolo came within 140 miles of the southernmost point on the Big Island as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds over 100 mph. 

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FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray reported that Highway 11 near Waiohinu, in the southern part of the island, was closed due to flooding, but the island dodged widespread catastrophic flooding that was initially expected.

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"Because the storm stayed farther away, the massive rain totals originally forecast, 30 to 40-plus inches, did not come to fruition," the FOX Forecast Center said. The northeast side of the Big Island led the way, recording nearly 18 inches of rain over three days.

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Waves between 12 and 20 feet slammed the southern shores of the Big Island. Wind gusts of 70 mph or stronger have been recorded across the islands this weekend.

A fast-moving brush fire was sparked near Olowalu Village on Maui Saturday afternoon amid strong wind gust associated with Hurricane Nolo.

The fire scorched more than 100 acres and is 95% contained. More than 10,000 customers were still without power early Monday across Maui County, but power has since been restored.

The devastating 2023 Lahaina fire was fueled in part by strong, dry winds from Hurricane Dora, which was passing well to the south of the islands.

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Nolo weakened to a tropical storm on Wednesday morning and is beginning to pull away from the Hawaiian Islands. 

This move should keep Nolo's winds well away from the Hawaiian Islands.

While several inches of rain is expected to linger through Thursday across Kaua'i, there is no flooding expected.

Kaua'i will see rain associated with Nolo from Tuesday morning through Thursday evening. "Outer bands east of Nolo’s track will produce 3 to 6 inches of rain across Kauai and Niihau through Thursday," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

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The storm was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday night before rapidly intensifying into a Category 4 storm, with wind speeds increasing 60 mph in 24 hours.

Annular eye of Hurricane Nolo on Sep. 28, 2026.

(FOX Weather / FOX Weather)

"The hurricane is also now annular, meaning it contains a very large eye with a concentrated area of storms around the center and very few rain bands," the FOX Forecast Center said.

"Annular hurricanes typically weaken slower than traditionally structured hurricanes, and the forecast for Nolo reflects this," the Forecast Center added.

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Hurricane Nolo moving just south of Hawaii, churning up strong winds and massive waves

Hurricane Nolo is making its closest approach to the Big Island on Saturday, stirring up massive waves and strong winds on South Point, Hawaii. FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray gives us the latest update on conditions: 

This was the fourth tropical system to impact Hawaii this year, which generally doesn't see much tropical activity. A rapidly strengthening El Niño has fueled a nonstop parade of tropical systems across the Pacific.

Hurricane Lala, which passed just 30 miles south of the Big Island in August, dumped 40 inches of rain across the southern part of the island, leading to catastrophic flooding.

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Tropical Storm Moke passed 250 miles south of the Big Island just a week later, bringing additional rain.

A man watches debris flow along Ka'alaiki Road after Hurricane Lala in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026. The Category 1 hurricane brought heavy rain and strong winds to the island of Hawaii before moving away without making landfall, causing extensive damage to towns along the island's southern end.

(Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Hurricane Lowell followed a similar track to 1992's Hurricane Iniki, Hawaii's storm of record.

Lowell's center came within 50 miles of Kaua'i as a Category 2 storm, but still brought extensive wind damage and took out power across the island.

Damage reported on Maui as Hurricane Lowell impacts the Hawaiian Islands.

(Hawaii Department of Transportation / FOX Weather)

Nolo will eventually turn away from Hawaii later in the week, but "forecast models indicate it will be a very long-lived hurricane and an eventual typhoon, persisting for two-plus weeks in the open Pacific," the FOX Forecast Center said.