Hurricane Kiko Could Hit Hawaii as a Major Storm Next Week

Hurricane Kiko, a powerful Category 4 storm, is threatening the Hawaiian Islands as it tracks westward.

As of Thursday morning, Kiko was well east of the Hawaiian Islands, located more than 1,500 miles east-southeast of Hilo and more than 1,700 miles east-southeast of Honolulu. It was moving west at 8 mph, a general motion the NHC expects it to maintain through Thursday night. The forecast says Kiko should gradually increase in speed as it approaches the islands, possibly early next week.

There are still questions about how powerful Kiko will be when it reaches Hawaii. The storm is currently a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with winds near 145 mph, but it is expected to weaken starting Friday and through the weekend before reaching the Hawaiian Islands. The NHC says the storm is likely to be a Category 1 hurricane, with winds near 80 mph, on Monday night. As it continues to move over cooler waters, it should weaken further as it approaches the Big Island on Tuesday.

Though the forecast could change, the NHC says the storm threatens to produce high rainfall that could lead to flooding when it hits the island early next week.

For travel changes, not much has been confirmed yet, and it is still too early to determine how big of an impact the storm will have on travel to and from Hawaii. No airline has issued a change waiver.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America is scheduled to be in Honolulu on Saturday, at the end of a seven-day inter-island sailing, before Kiko’s expected arrival. The ship is scheduled to depart Honolulu on another seven-day sailing later that day, with stops in Maui, Hilo, Kale-Kona, and Nawiliwili before returning to Honolulu next week. No changes have been announced to the itinerary as of Thursday.