Honolulu Star-Advertiser-hurricane watch
"Tropical Storm Lala forms near Hawaii--hurricane watch issued for Big Island."
Views expressed in this Hawaii news update are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 13 August 2026, 1622 UTC.
Content and Source: "Honolulu Star-Advertiser."
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/08/13/breaking-news/tropical-storm-lala-forms-off-hawaii-hurricane-watch-issued-for-big-island/
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsmonitor.blogspot.com).
Thursday, August 13, 2026 78°Today's Paper
Tropical Storm Lala forms near Hawaii; hurricane watch issued for Big Island
COURTESY CPHC
The 5-day forecast map for Tropical Storm Lala as of 5 a.m. today
Tropical Storm Lala formed this morning about 700 miles east-southeast of Hilo and a hurricane watch has been issued for Hawaii island.
Lala had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts and was moving west at 10 mph at about 5 a.m., according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
A west to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next several days, bringing Lala near or just south of the Big Island Saturday. “Steady strengthening is forecast, and Lala could be near hurricane strength as it approaches the Big Island,” forecasters said.
A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area within 48 hours. Residents in the area are urged to finalize emergency preparations immediately.
The storm is expected to pass south of the smaller islands over the weekend.
Tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or more extend up to 140 miles from Lala’s center. At 5 a.m., it was 705 miles east-southeast of Hilo and 915 miles east-southeast of Honolulu.
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The hurricane center said hazards from the storm include:
>> Wind: Hurricane conditions are possible on the Big Island by early Saturday. “Wind speeds atop and on the windward sides of hills and mountains are often up to 30 percent stronger than the near-surface winds indicated in this advisory, and in some elevated locations could be even greater.”
>> Rain Tropical Storm Lala is expected to produce rainfall totals of 5 to 10 inches across much of the island chain, with maximum totals of 20 inches possible. The rain may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.
>> Storm surge: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach 1 to 3 feet above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide. “The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast, where the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.” A storm surge graphic is available at hurricanes.gov/graphics_cp2.shtml?peakSurge.
>> Swells generated by Lala should reach east shores of the state Friday, spreading west and building through the weekend. “These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.”
As the storm approaches, another concern is the risk of increased conditions conducive to wildfires, according to the National Weather Service. “Fire weather concerns will increase on Friday ahead of any potential tropical cyclone’s arrival,” officials said. “Winds will begin to strengthen while a dry and stable air mass with low relative humidity moves overhead. This combination of lower relative humidity and increasing wind speeds will likely lead to high wildfire risk.”
The latest five-day forecast map for Lala only includes Hawaii island in the so-called cone of uncertainty. All other islands are outside the cone as the storm is expected to pass south of the smaller islands.
By Friday evening as it nears the south of Hawaii island, Lala is forecast to have 60 mph maximum sustained winds, which will grow to 70 mph by Saturday, just under the Category 1 hurricane threshold of 74 mph.
RELATED COVERAGE: Powerful storm heads straight for Hawaii
The hurricane watch for Hawaii island lists possible threats to life and property from the storm including hurricane force wind gusts of 75 mph in some areas, such as Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, life-threatening flooding, and possible tornadoes.
A high suf advisory for south shores of all islands is in effect until 6 a.m. Friday with large breaking waves of 8 to 12 feet expected, according to the National Weather Service.
