Hawaii braces for potential first direct hit by a hurricane in 34 years

BBC:

Hawaii is bracing for what could be its first direct hit from a hurricane since 1992, as category one storm Lala churns off its coast.

With wind speeds as high as 80mph (130km/h), Lala gained hurricane strength on Saturday. In a worst-case scenario, it could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island and produce a 3ft storm surge.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Big Island, while Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau are under tropical storm warnings. Officials have told residents to prepare for “life-threatening” conditions, including floods and mudslides.

The storm is expected to either make landfall or pass close to the southern tip of Big Island on Saturday, before continuing west.

In an update at 17:00 local time (03:00 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said Lala’s eye wall was “brushing the southern portion of the Big Island”.

“Damaging winds a heavy rain will persist across the Big Island throughout tonight and spread westwards across the smaller islands on Sunday,” it said.

The last time a hurricane made landfall on Hawaii’s Big Island was 155 years ago, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Over the weekend, Lala will continue moving westwards, and may weaken into a tropical storm, with the centre passing just below Hawaii’s other islands.