Hurricane Lala nears Hawaii with 140 mph gusts and heavy rain

Hurricane Lala was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane early Saturday after reaching sustained winds of 75 mph and is expected to make its closest approach to the Big Island around 4-5 p.m. local time. The storm, located about 40 miles from the island’s southern tip, has already produced rain totals of 12 inches on the eastern slopes and 2 inches at lower elevations, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ian Morrison.

Weather instruments on Mauna Kea recorded a wind gust of 140 mph, while the Gemini Observatory on Maunakea logged 119 mph winds. The National Weather Service warned that flash flooding could affect creeks, streams, urban areas, highways and low-lying zones, and forecasted 10-20 inches of rain across the Big Island, with isolated amounts up to 25 inches. Maui and other islands are expected to receive up to 8 inches, raising the risk of flooding and mudslides in steep terrain.

"You have to be careful. … Do not go out if it’s unsafe," Governor Josh Green advised residents, describing the storm as serious.

"The impacts — the flooding rain, upward of 25 inches — that can do a lot of damage of course. The winds, we’re looking at a lot of power outages across all the islands," Morrison said.

The service noted that damaging winds could spread westward to Oahu and Kauai later Saturday and Sunday, with localized enhancements due to the islands’ mountainous terrain. While the Big Island remains under a hurricane warning—the first since Hurricane Lane in 2018—other islands are under tropical-storm-strength conditions with winds of 35-45 mph and gusts up to 55 mph expected through Monday.

State officials have declared a state of emergency, activated the Major Disaster Fund, and urged residents to secure outdoor items, clear gutters, move valuables off the floor and prepare for possible power outages. They also recommended staying away from beaches during rough surf and following any evacuation orders.

Meteorologists attribute Lala’s rapid intensification to a strong El Niño event, which has reduced wind shear and allowed the storm to strengthen despite the region’s typical protective shear patterns.