NASA sees Hurricane Loke moving north

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hurricane Loke as it continued moving north in the Central Pacific early on August 25.

At 01:10 UTC on August 25, 2015 (9:10 p.m. EDT/Aug. 24) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of Hurricane Loke. The image showed the thunderstorms wrapping around the northern quadrant of the storm from east to west of the storm's center. Despite attaining hurricane status, however, there was no visible eye although microwave data taken earlier indicated an eye.

Loke is still stirring up rough surf on its journey north. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) noted that large swells produced by Loke will cause rough surf across reefs and shorelines over the western portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument through Wednesday. Large waves may overwash low-lying portions of the islands and atolls during this time.

At 5 a.m. HST (11 a.m. EDT/1500 UTC) the center of Hurricane Loke was located near latitude 29.9 north and longitude 172.2 west. Maximum sustained winds were near 75 mph (120 kph). Slow and steady weakening is expected to begin later on August 26.

Loke was moving to the north-northeast near 18 mph and CPHC expects the storm to turn to the north and then northwest later in the day and on August 26.

Hurricane Loke is expected to weaken to a tropical storm by Wednesday, August 26 and become extra-tropical later in the day as it moves in a northwesterly direction over open waters of the Central Pacific Ocean.