Hawaii Island under Hurricane Warning, Maui County under Tropical Storm Watch as Lala nears

News admin August 14, 2026 0 Comments

Hawaii Island under Hurricane Warning, Maui County under Tropical Storm Watch as Lala nears

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Tropical Storm Lala continues to steadily intensify as it moves toward the island chain.

The overall forecast track remains largely unchanged. A strong mid-level ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands should continue to steer the cyclone west-northwestward during the next several days.

Lala is expected to become a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island on Saturday morning.

The cyclone’s forward motion is forecast to slow somewhat as it approaches and begins to interact with the terrain of the Big Island on Saturday.

Watches and Warnings

Hawaii Island is now under a Hurricane Warning. This means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A warning is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated first occurrence of hurricane-force winds, conditions that make outside preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.

Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Maui County, including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within the next 36 to 48 hours.

Forecast track and timing

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Tropical Storm Lala’s center was 555 miles east-southeast of Hilo, or 765 miles east-southeast of Honolulu. Lala was moving to the west-northwest at 12 miles per hour.

The tropical storm’s maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 miles per hour with higher gusts. Tropical storm force winds extend up to 275 miles from the center.

On the forecast track, Lala’s center is forecast to be near the Big Island’s South Point on Saturday morning, and pass south of the remainder of the islands from Saturday to Sunday morning.

Possible impacts this weekend

Wind

Hurricane conditions (winds >74 mph) are expected on the Big Island of Hawaii by early Saturday, with tropical storm conditions (winds > 39 mph) possible in Maui County by late Saturday. Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of slopes and mountains are often up to 30 percent stronger than the near-surface winds indicated in this advisory, and in some elevated locations could be even greater.

Rain

Tropical Storm Lala is expected to produce rainfall totals of 8 to 12 inches across Maui and the Big Island with maximum totals of 25 inches possible across the Big Island. Rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 8 inches across the remainder of the island chain. This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.

Storm surge

The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach 1 to 3 feet above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

Surf

Swells generated by Lala are expected to reach the east-facing shores of the state on Friday, spreading westward and building through the weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions.