Kiko Weakens to Tropical Storm, Poses Threat to Hawaiian Islands

As of 2025-09-08T12:27:33+00:00, computer models known as "spaghetti models" have predicted that Hurricane Kiko is likely to take a northwest track past the Hawaiian islands. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has been closely monitoring the progress of the storm, which is currently a Category 2 hurricane but is expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming hours.

The NHC has stated that swells generated by Kiko are expected to peak along east-facing exposures of the islands late Monday through midweek, potentially producing life-threatening surf and rip currents. A hurricane warning has been issued for Hawaiian offshore waters, and a state of emergency was declared across Hawaii on Friday due to the threat of possible extreme weather posed by Kiko.

Meteorologists have provided additional details on the storm's expected impacts. AccuWeather's Alyssa Glenny has stated that the highest winds from Tuesday to Wednesday may gust up to 40 miles per hour along the northern and northeastern coastlines of the islands, though land impacts are expected to be less severe compared to a direct track into the Big Island. Rainfall totals are predicted to range from 1-2 inches across portions of the Hawaiian Islands, with a smaller zone of 2-4 inches of rain along the eastern and northern sides of the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu as Kiko tracks to the north.