Tropical Storm Nolo Expected to Strengthen into Major Hurricane Near Hawaii
The system, currently a tropical depression south of the Big Island, is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday and could reach Category 3 by the weekend, bringing heavy rain, flooding and strong winds to parts of Hawaii.
A tropical depression located about 300 miles south of the Big Island is expected to intensify into Tropical Storm Nolo and reach hurricane strength by Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecast models suggest the storm could become a major hurricane, Category 3 or higher, by the weekend.
The storm is projected to turn north on Thursday and later shift westward, a movement that will determine how close its strongest winds come to the islands. Regardless of the exact track, flood watches have been issued for the Big Island and parts of Maui County, with NOAA predicting up to 35 inches of rain on mountain slopes of the Big Island and up to 20 inches on Maui.
The National Hurricane Center warned that such rainfall could trigger life-threatening flash floods and landslides, similar to the impacts experienced during Hurricane Lala in August. Winds of at least tropical-storm force are likely across the eastern islands, with the potential for hurricane-force gusts on the Big Island if the storm’s core passes nearby. Coastal flooding and dangerous surf are also expected as larger swells arrive by Friday.
If Nolo’s center passes within 150 miles of the Big Island, it would be the strongest hurricane to approach the island since Hurricane Dot in 1959, marking the first major hurricane threat in the region in more than six decades.