Hawaii has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Lowell comes closer. Last week, 1,432,820 people, the population of Hawaii were told to 'prepare for the worst' although, at the time it was unclear on whether the Hurricane would actually hit.

Hurricane Lowell intensified to a Category 5 storm Wednesday in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to remain a powerful hurricane over the next several days, the National Hurricane Center said. The center of the cyclone was located about 445 miles (715 kilometers) south of Hilo,

Hurricane Lowell has grown into a Category 5 storm with winds near 160 miles per hour as it moves toward Hawaii. It was later downgraded to Category 4, but officials still call it a major threat. On Wednesday evening,

Lowell officially strengthened into a major hurricane late Tuesday night. The storm just became a hurricane early Tuesday morning, and underwent rapid intensification at nighttime. The National Hurricane Center announced that Lowell was upgraded to a Category 5 storm Wednesday evening.

The Pacific is alive with activity with two major hurricanes and a hurricane in the basin. This is a quintessential result of the strong El Niño conditions in place as the increased rising air and reduced wind shear allow for more storms to develop.

Hawaii is under a state of emergency with powerful Hurricane Lowell set to bear down on its western islands.

Lowell's passage to the south is expected to boost trade wind speeds to wind advisory levels.