Tropical Storm Moke approaches Hawaii, bringing heavy rain and wind after Hurricane Lala

Tropical Storm Moke is expected to move south of Hawaii's islands on Saturday evening, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, officials said. The storm will pass close to the Big Island late Saturday and continue westward through early Tuesday, according to Casey Oswant of the National Weather Service in Honolulu.

"There will still be impacts, especially to the windward and south-east sides of the Big Island, but it will probably be a little bit more limited than what we saw with Lala," Oswant said.

Forecasts call for 5-10 inches of rain on the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island, with isolated amounts up to 15 inches. Other islands are expected to receive 1-2 inches, while parts of east Maui could see up to 4 inches. The National Weather Service warned that flooding and mudslides are likely, particularly in locations that were heavily saturated by Hurricane Lala.

Governor Josh Green urged residents to restock food, medicine and other essentials ahead of the storm. In a video briefing, he noted that Hurricane Lala had already caused about $43 million in infrastructure damage on the Big Island and $4.6 million in home damage, and said recovery efforts would continue.

No coastal watches or warnings were in effect early Saturday, but authorities advised the public to monitor the storm closely. The National Hurricane Center cautioned that the rainfall could generate dangerous rip currents, life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in steep, saturated terrain.