STORM ZONE ⛈️: FOX Weather Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross shares an update on Tropical Storm Lala as it targets Hawaii this weekend, bringing life-threatening flooding and strong winds to the island.
THE TAKEAWAY
- Tropical Storm Lala will start impacting Hawaii starting on Friday.
- Lala is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane Saturday morning.
- At its peak, wind gusts could reach 70 mph or higher and cause flash flooding and mudslides.
HONOLULU, Hawaii —Tropical Storm Lala has formed in the Pacific Ocean and is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Saturday morning.
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According to the FOX Forecast Center, the storm is expected to bring damaging winds and torrential rainfall to Hawaii’s Big Island.
A Hurricane Warning is now in effect for the Big Island, with watches possible for the rest of the island chain as Lala tracks closer to Hawaii.
(FOX Weather)
Tropical Storm Lala currently has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
The rainfall could trigger life-threatening flooding, while towering surf could produce waves exceeding 30 feet. Mudslides, destructive winds and dangerous rip currents will also be concerns as the storm approaches.
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If Lala makes landfall as forecast, it could become the first hurricane to make landfall in Hawaii in 34 years.
Here’s a timeline of when Tropical Storm Lala is expected to arrive in your area and the impacts forecasters expect it to bring.
(FOX Weather)
Friday
It will be a quiet start to the day as Lala begins its approach toward Hawaii. But by midday, rain showers will become more frequent as the storm strengthens to the east.
Tropical Storm Lala is expected to have maximum sustained winds of 65 to 70 mph.
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By Friday afternoon, showers and downpours will increase, especially across the Big Island and Maui. Wind gusts could reach 20 to 30 mph.
Bizzare wave shapes created by colliding outgoing and incoming waves off the Na Pali Coast on Kauai, Hawaii.
(Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
Friday night
Overnight Friday into the early hours of Saturday, Lala will continue to intensify, with maximum sustained winds forecast to reach around 70 mph, making it a strong tropical storm.
Downpours will gradually increase across the Big Island, although the heaviest precipitation will likely remain offshore near the center of Lala.
Winds across Maui and the Big Island could begin gusting to 30 to 40 mph ahead of the system. As the storm strengthens, surf will become rough, with offshore waves potentially exceeding 15 feet.
(FOX Weather)
Saturday
Conditions will ramp up Saturday as the core of Lala makes a close pass to the Big Island.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, Lala is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane Saturday morning, with maximum sustained winds around 75 mph.
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By midday, the heaviest rain will begin impacting the Big Island before spreading north into Maui and eventually Oahu.
Waves start to pick up as a storm forms.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
Intense rainfall near the center of Lala, combined with the mountainous terrain along the windward sides of the Big Island and Maui, could lead to flash flooding and mudslides.
Wind gusts could reach 60 to 70 mph or higher, with sustained winds of 35 to 55 mph.
Power outages will also be possible, along with strong surf, coastal flooding and storm surge of 1 to 3 feet.
Saturday night
The core of Lala will begin moving southwest of the island chain, with maximum sustained winds remaining around 75 mph.
(FOX Weather)
Wind gusts could reach 40 to 50 mph across much of the state through the night.
The heaviest rain will shift into portions of the central and northern islands, including Honolulu and Lihue, increasing the threat of flash flooding. Some areas could receive 5 to 8 inches of rain.
As the core of the system moves west, coastal waves will remain elevated at around 6 to 9 feet.
Sunday
Conditions will gradually improve Sunday afternoon, although gusty winds and a few showers could linger into the middle of the afternoon.
(FOX Weather)
Storm surge will also start to decrease as Lala moves farther west of Hawaii.
By midday Sunday, Lala is expected to weaken slightly but maintain maximum sustained winds around 70 mph as it races westward, taking the worst of the rain and wind threat with it.
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Across the western islands, wind gusts could reach 20 to 30 mph, while calmer conditions return to the Big Island and Maui.
