Tropical Storm Lowell is moving away from Hawaii after bringing powerful winds, heavy rain, and flooding to the islands.
Lowell briefly strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane in the Pacific before weakening as it moved north toward Hawaii. The storm prompted the National Weather Service to issue a rare Hurricane Warning for Kauai County.
Lowell passed west of Kauai, with wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph reported across parts of Kauai and Oahu. The storm also brought significant rainfall, triggering flooding and mudslides across the islands.
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While the Pacific has been active, the Atlantic hurricane season remains unusually quiet as we reach the climatological peak of the season on Sept. 10. The Atlantic has yet to produce a hurricane this season.
NOAA says the strong El Niño developing this year is increasing wind shear across the Atlantic, which suppresses tropical development.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30, so the lack of hurricanes so far does not mean the season is over. The historical peak occurs around Sept. 10.