As the hurricane moved closer, the Hawaiian island of Kauai’s annual marathon was canceled. Some residents went ahead with their holiday weekend plans.

Kauai has been told to brace for damaging winds, flooding rain and dangerous surf as Hurricane Lowell approaches.

The powerful storm is not expected to make a direct landfall but is still forecast to bring serious weather to the islands.

Hurricane Lowell track has nudged east, raising chances for near hurricane-force gusts on Kauai, as well as heavy rain across the Hawaiian Islands.

Forecasters warn Lowell could be near major hurricane strength as it moves close to the western Hawaiian Islands next week.

The tropics are quiet Monday, Sept. 7, according to the National Hurricane Center in Florida. Here's the 7-day outlook, what NHC is tracking today.

Officials in Hawaii are urging residents to prepare for heavy rains and flooding as Hurricane Lowell, a major Category 3 storm, prompted forecasters to issue a tropical storm warning for two islands.

Powerful Hurricane Lowell is barreling toward Hawaii and is expected to make a dangerously close pass by the state's western islands as heavy rain associated with the Category 3 hurricane has already triggered flash flooding on Oahu and damaging surf is pounding Hawaii's southern shores.

The strongest of these Central and Eastern Pacific hurricanes is Lowell, which peaked twice as a Category 5 storm over the Labor Day weekend and was expected to pass just west of Kauai and Niihau on Monday night, forcing a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch for Kauai County and a tropical storm watch for Oahu (see below).