Tropical storm Lala becomes hurricane, winds around 120 km/h
Hurricane Lala — Category 1 — is forecast to pass near Hawaii’s Big Island; heavy rain, landslides and flood risks are expected.
Tropical Storm Lala strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it moved over Hawaii’s Big Island, with sustained winds reported at about 120 kilometres per hour.
National Hurricane Center raises warnings as heavy rain and gusts approach
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Lala had reached hurricane strength and that the storm’s outer bands were expected to pass over or very near the southern tip of the Big Island by the end of Saturday. Forecasters said Oahu and Kauai were likely to feel impacts by Sunday morning.
Forecasters warned of very heavy rainfall: roughly 200 to 300 millimetres on Maui and the lowlands of the Big Island, and 100 to 150 millimetres across the Hawaiian Islands. At higher elevations, totals could reach up to 635 millimetres — amounts that raise the risk of landslides in mountainous areas where people live in improvised housing. The islands have not experienced a direct hurricane strike in the last 155 years.
A hurricane warning was issued for the Big Island, while a tropical storm warning covered Maui County, which includes the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Authorities warned of the potential for catastrophic flooding and, paradoxically, for wildfire ignitions driven by strong winds in dry areas outside the storm.
"This is a massive storm," said Governor Josh Green, urging residents to seek shelter promptly. Vanessa Almanza of the National Weather Service in Honolulu said that dry, windy conditions outside the main circulation would increase fire risk in some areas.
Officials and residents have been preparing for Lala regardless of whether the islands sustain a direct hit. Shelters were being readied and a number of public events were canceled as local governments pushed evacuation advice and safety measures.
Photo: press material from the event
