Nolo Moves Away From Hawaii, but Heavy Showers Continue for Kauai and Oahu

Tropical Storm Nolo is gradually accelerating westward away from the main Hawaiian Islands, but the storm’s trailing moisture will keep a wetter pattern over Kauai and Oahu through Friday, October 2. In an Area Forecast Discussion issued at 3:25 a.m. HST Thursday, October 1, the National Weather Service office in Honolulu said bands of moderate to locally heavy showers could continue moving in from the south, especially over the western end of the state.

The main Hawaiian Islands were not under a tropical storm watch or warning in the latest Central Pacific Hurricane Center advisory. The tropical-storm warnings and watches were for remote portions of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument northwest of the state’s populated islands.

What the forecast says

The Honolulu forecast office said the moisture associated with Nolo could support rainfall rates of about 1 to 2 inches per hour in the strongest showers. The greatest near-term concern is Kauai and Oahu, where repeated bands could pass over the same location through Friday.

The Honolulu office listed no watches, warnings or advisories in its early-Thursday forecast discussion. Forecasters said the heavier showers had been moving quickly and were dispersed enough to avoid flood advisories or flash-flood warnings. That does not eliminate risk: short-duration, nuisance or localized flooding remains possible if a rain band stalls or repeatedly tracks across one area.

Residents and travelers should use the latest Honolulu forecast and active-alert map rather than relying on an older snapshot. Conditions can vary sharply across the islands, and localized advisories can be issued after a broader forecast discussion.

Nolo’s warnings are for remote islands

At 5 a.m. HST Thursday, the Central Pacific Hurricane Center continued a tropical storm warning for part of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, from Nihoa westward to Maro Reef. It also issued a tropical storm watch for another remote section near Lisianski Island.

A warning means tropical-storm conditions are expected within the specified area, while a watch means those conditions are possible. Neither designation applied to Kauai, Oahu, Maui County or Hawaii Island in that advisory. The latest Nolo advisory from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center has the authoritative watch and warning boundaries.

Timing and uncertainty

The weather service expects a gradual return to a drier trade-wind pattern over the weekend as Nolo moves farther away and moisture thins. The exact placement and persistence of individual shower bands are the main uncertainty. That is why one part of an island may receive repeated downpours while another nearby location sees much less rain.

Drivers should not cross water covering a roadway, and hikers should avoid streams and drainage channels when heavy rain is nearby or upstream. Air travelers and boaters should check current operational notices and marine forecasts before departure.

This Hawaii update is separate from the flood-watch conditions affecting parts of Texas. For location-based forecasts and current conditions, visit the AskNovus Weather page.

Sources

• National Weather Service Honolulu Area Forecast Discussion, issued October 1, 2026
• Central Pacific Hurricane Center Tropical Storm Nolo Advisory 44, issued October 1, 2026

Featured image: Braden Jarvis via Unsplash.