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 and a minimum barometric pressure of 957 mbar (hPa; ); 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 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 reintensification. As Uleki neared the International Date Line, it regained winds of .
