Kilo formed from a tropical disturbance that was first identified by the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) on August 17, about 1,150 mi (1,850 km) southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

The wind shear decreased further on August 26, and the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Kilo at 18:00 UTC[a] that day while approaching Johnston Atoll.

Amid high sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear, Kilo began to quickly strengthen while being steered westwards by a new mid-level ridge, attaining hurricane status on August 29.

[b] Kilo reached its peak intensity at the end of this strengthening phase, with a minimum barometric pressure of 940 mbar (hPa; 27.76 inHg).

Around this time, Kilo was one of three hurricanes at Category 4 intensity spanning the Eastern and Central Pacific basins, the first such occurrence in recorded history.

The tropical disturbance that would become Kilo first developed on August 17, about 1,150 mi (1,850 km) southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii, within a broad, low-level trough.

The disturbance began to move slowly northeast out of the trough on August 19 while remaining poorly organized, producing intermittent bursts of convection.

However, a brief surge in convection and weak low-level circulation center (LLCC) developed over the system on August 20, though the two features separated later that day.

As a ridge to the disturbance's north steered it more quickly to the west-northwest, wind shear relaxed over the system, allowing its LLCC to re-consolidate.

The slow-moving cyclone gradually became more organized as a new ridge strengthened to its northwest, allowing wind shear to lessen in the surrounding environment.

The storm reached its secondary peak intensity by 00:00 UTC on September 7, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (170 km/h), near the intersection of the Tropic of Cancer and the 170th meridian east.

[5] Embarking on a more northwestward course, deep convection associated with Kilo decreased in intensity and coverage through September 8 as drier air wrapped into the core of the typhoon.

[6] Kilo only weakened gradually, however, with its winds slowly diminishing to severe-tropical-storm-force by 12:00 UTC on September 9, as its center became exposed from its convective activity within an environment of even stronger shear.

[9] Kilo then resumed weakening on September 11, before transitioning to an extratropical cyclone at 12:00 UTC that day, near the Kuril Islands of Russia,[2] over 4,000 mi (6,400 km) from its genesis point.

[12] Kohala Mountain Road on the Big Island was closed after water covered its surface,[13] while floodwaters made the Piilani Highway in Maui impassable.

[26] After Kilo absorbed the remnants of Etau, the resultant extratropical cyclone went on to affect portions of the Russian Far East with moderate rainfall and gusty winds.

A maximum of 3.5 in (90 mm) of rain were recorded at weather stations in the urban localities of Preobrazheniye and Olga, while strong winds affected the city of Vladivostok.