Debris is seen along Hawaiʻi Belt Road near Pahala, Hawaii, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

2026-08-19T04:26:52Z

MIAMI (AP) — A storm system moving west away from Hawaii has quickly strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said late Tuesday.

The hurricane was about 335 miles (535 kilometers) south-southeast of Maro Reef, the hurricane center said. The storm was moving west-northwest at 125 mph (205 kph).

The hurricane center called it the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific. Forecasters said they expected the storm to remain a hurricane for the next several days. They predicted it would strengthen tonight before slowly weakening.

A hurricane warning was issued for the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. A warning means hurricane conditions are expected in roughly 36 hours.

The storm had battered parts of Hawaii Sunday as it passed by without making landfall and weakened from a hurricane into a tropical storm. Crews were working to clean up and restore power in parts of the state.