A hurricane watch has been issued for portions of Hawaii’s Big Island as Tropical Storm Lala barrels toward the state, threatening to bring hurricane-force winds, torrential rainfall and potentially catastrophic flooding beginning Friday.
Lala was less than 700 miles southeast of Hawaii on Thursday morning and moving west with sustained winds of approximately 40 mph.
Forecasters warned that the storm could strengthen significantly as it approaches the Hawaiian Islands, potentially becoming a Category 1 hurricane.
Hurricane-force winds are possible within the watch area over the next 48 hours, with conditions expected to begin deteriorating Friday and the greatest threat arriving Friday evening into Saturday.
The National Weather Service warned that some communities could experience wind gusts reaching 75 mph, while parts of the Big Island could receive as much as 15 inches of rain.
The resulting flooding could become “devastating to catastrophic,” according to forecasters, potentially washing out roads, overwhelming rivers and leaving some homes uninhabitable.
The National Hurricane Center also warned residents about the possibility of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.
“Heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Lala will begin to impact the Big Island Friday, spreading westward across the island chain during the weekend,” the NHC said.
“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.”
Officials are urging residents in potentially affected communities to finish preparations before conditions become dangerous.
The storm could also produce widespread power outages, dangerous surf and coastal flooding, while several tornadoes are possible as the system moves through the region.
Although the Big Island is currently expected to receive the most significant impacts, Lala could affect communities across Hawaii.
More than 1 million people live throughout the state, with large population centers including Honolulu, Waikiki, Kahului and Kihei.
The threat also comes during Hawaii’s peak summer tourism season, when roughly 250,000 visitors can be vacationing throughout the islands on any given day between June and mid-August.
Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi and Oʻahu had not been placed under a hurricane watch as of Thursday, but forecast models showed Lala passing close enough to potentially bring heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf.
The National Hurricane Center projects winds approaching 30 mph across some of the smaller islands.
Prolonged heavy surf could additionally produce coastal flooding and significant beach erosion throughout the state this weekend.
AccuWeather forecasts between four and eight inches of rain across the Big Island and Maui.
However, its worst-case scenario is significantly more severe, with as much as 24 inches of rain and hurricane-force winds reaching 85 mph possible on the Big Island.
AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva compared the approaching system to Hurricane Hone, which affected Hawaii in 2024 despite never making landfall, according to the Daily Mail.
“Despite never making landfall in Hawaii, Hone brought more than two feet of rain to portions of the Big Island, causing significant flooding, as well as winds in excess of 70 mph,” DaSilva said.
Lala’s precise trajectory remains uncertain, and meteorologists noted that the storm could ultimately track farther south, reducing direct impacts on Hawaii.
Such a shift could allow the storm to spend additional time over warm Pacific waters, however, potentially allowing it to strengthen into a larger hurricane.
The approaching storm comes amid predictions of heightened tropical activity across the Pacific during the 2026 hurricane season.
AccuWeather previously projected between 17 and 22 named Pacific storms this season, including nine to 13 hurricanes and as many as eight major hurricanes reaching Category 3 strength or higher.
Nine named storms have already formed in the Pacific this year. Fausto and Genevieve became hurricanes, meaning Lala would become the season’s third hurricane if it reaches the threshold.
DaSilva previously cautioned Hawaiians against becoming complacent despite the state going years without a direct hurricane landfall.
“Hawaii has gone a long time without a direct hurricane landfall, but that should not lead to complacency,” he said.
