A giant storm in the Pacific Ocean is taking aim at Hawaii, just days after Hurricane Lala caused devastating damage and killed at least two people.
Meteorologists say the rapidly forming storm now has a 90 percent chance of becoming a tropical cyclone by Friday.
AccuWeather forecasters believe the massive system will reach hurricane status by Saturday and could pass within 100 miles of Hawaii’s Big Island hours later.
However, spaghetti models, which track all possible paths of tropical storms and hurricanes, show a potential path for the storm which would land a direct hit on the Big Island by Sunday.
AccuWeather lead hurricane expert Alex DaSilva said in a statement: ‘The Big Island will be especially sensitive to flooding after Lala already caused significant flooding and mudslides last weekend.’
Early forecasts predict that the Big Island and its closest neighbor, Maui, could see between four and eight inches of rain as the hurricane passes. Some areas on the Big Island may see closer to 12 inches of rain, with AccuWeather warning of a worst-case scenario of 24 inches.
Police in Hawaii have blamed two deaths on Hurricane Lala, which struck Hawaii on August 15 and caused an estimated $3-5 billion in destruction, including 100 homes being damaged or washed away in floods and mudslides.
Currently named Invest 90, the developing storm is less than 1,400 miles from Hawaii. If a cyclone forms and it reaches sustained winds of 39 to 74 mph, the National Hurricane Center will rename it Tropical Storm Iselle or Moke, depending on its location in the Pacific at that time.
A new tropical storm has been spotted forming in the Pacific near Hawaii, just days after Hurricane Lala devastated the island chain
Hurricane Lala has been blamed for two deaths and billions of dollars in damage from flooding and mudslides
Officials with NHC described the approaching storm as ‘producing showers and thunderstorms that continue to show signs of organization.’
‘A tropical depression is likely to form during the next day or so as the system moves westward,’ the weather agency’s forecast revealed.
A tropical depression is the first stage of a tropical cyclone, where a low-pressure area forms with thunderstorms and relatively low winds.
However, these systems can quickly turn into a named tropical storm once those winds grow to a sustained speed of 39 mph with the classic swirling shape and defined center.
Currently, AccuWeather has predicted that Invest 90 will grow into a Category 1 hurricane, meaning it is expected to develop sustained winds of 75 to 95 mph.
Hurricane Lala struck Hawaii as a Category 1 storm, with it eye coming within 30 miles of the Big Island.
Spaghetti models suggest the new hurricane could take a very similar path, although several tracks predict it will stay farther south.
‘The rainfall amounts and location of the rain is going to be largely dependent on the storm track, which could move farther south and largely miss the islands. That doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be significant impacts to land, though,’ DaSilva warned.
This is a breaking story. More details to follow.
Current tracks for the currently unnamed storm show a possible path that would make landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island
Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green said that 100 homes were damaged or lost in floods and mudslides during Hurricane Lala last weekend
The National Hurricane Center give Invest 90 (Center) a 90 percent chance of becoming a tropical storm within two days. Hurricane Lala (Left) continues to rage in the Pacific Ocean
