 With the hurricane situated to the southwest of the Hawaiian Islands , Hurricane Hunters conducted several weather reconnaissance missions into the storm . On September 2 , they found maximum surface winds of 125 mph ( 205 km / h ) and a minimum barometric pressure of 957 mbar ( hPa ; 28 @.@ 26 inHg ) ; this corresponded to the peak intensity of Uleki . At the time , Uleki displayed a well @-@ organized , tight circulation . The hurricane meandered in the same general area over the next two days , executing several small loops , with a slight northward drift . During this time , its circulation increased in coverage but became less @-@ organized as weakening ensued . Increased wind shear and restricted outflow took their toll on the hurricane . The cyclone 's winds dropped to 80 mph ( 130 km / h ) by 12 : 00 UTC on September 4 as it resumed its west @-@ northwest track under the influence of a subtropical ridge away from the Hawaiian Islands . Uleki passed roughly halfway between Johnston Atoll and the French Frigate Shoals on September 5 . By September 7 , the weakened trend halted and environmental conditions favored <unk> . As Uleki neared the International Dateline , it regained winds of 105 mph ( 165 km / h ) . 
