Hurricane Lowell rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane today, packing maximum sustained winds of 160 mph as it tracks west at 10 mph, about 445 miles south of Hilo.

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Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from Lowell’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center confirmed the compact storm reached Category 5 status this morning.

While Lowell is expected to remain a major hurricane over the next several days, forecasters project its forward speed will slow as it passes south of the Hawaiian Islands before making a sharp turn to the north or north-northeast late this weekend, the CPHC said in an advisory.

“On the current forecast track, Hurricane Lowell is expected to pass far to the south of Hawaii Island and not present with any threat of severe weather impacts,” Hawaii County Civil Defense said this morning.

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“A cutoff mid- to upper-level low is forecast to drop southwestward from the North Pacific and weaken the steering ridge this weekend,” CPHC forecasters said. “Then, a sharp turn toward the north or north-northeast is forecast at days 4-5 while Lowell interacts with this upper-level feature. There is large spread in the various models and ensemble solutions regarding how sharp of a turn occurs, but … the overall trend has been an eastward shift in the long-range track envelope.

Although no coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect for land areas, swells generated by Lowell are spreading northward and are expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents across Hawaiian shores.

Farther east in the Pacific, Hurricane Karina has weakened slightly to a Category 4 storm with 140 mph winds about 1,390 miles east of Hilo, while Tropical Storm Marie sits off the coast of Mexico with 70 mph winds and is expected to reach hurricane strength later today.

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