00:00A monster storm is barreling across the Pacific, and Hawaii is watching closely.
00:04Hurricane Lowell exploded into a Category 5 hurricane on Wednesday,
00:08with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. The storm went from a 70 mph tropical storm
00:15to this monster in just about 30 hours, one of the fastest intensifications ever recorded in
00:21the Central Pacific. Lowell is only the seventh Category 5 hurricane on record in this basin,
00:26and the first since 2018. As of Wednesday afternoon, the storm was about 445 miles south
00:33of Hilo, moving west at 10 mph. But forecasters say Lowell's path is shifting, with models pointing
00:40to a sharp turn toward the north or north-northeast by the weekend. Honolulu's mayor is telling
00:46residents this is the time to prepare, even though the islands still have a few days before any
00:51potential impact. Swells from Lowell are already generating dangerous surf and rip currents along
00:57Hawaii's shores. Disclosure. This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced
01:02using AI-assisted tools.