Tropical Storm Lala Threatens Hawaii as Category 1 Hurricane Near the Big Island

Tropical Storm Lala is expected to intensify into a Category 1 Hurricane as it approaches Hawaii’s Big Island Saturday afternoon local time.

AccuWeather Hurricane Experts are forecasting the center of the storm to pass just two miles offshore from the Big Island. Any slight shift in the storm’s forward motion could allow it to become the first Hurricane to make landfall there.

“We certainly are not forecasting any extreme shifts to the edges of the Tropical Eye Chart, but a couple miles north or south are a very real possibility,” said AccuWeather expert meteorologist Tyler Roys. “A more northern track will raise the impact risk on The Big Island, and the other islands who could possibly see landfall, too, though this storm has continually tracked south and will continue doing so long as the storm continues to intensify.”

AccuWeather experts have elevated Lala to a 2 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes due to significant flash flooding risks, strong winds and dangerous rip currents.

What AccuWeather Experts are Tracking:

• Rain: 12 to 18 inches of rain is expected across southeastern portions of the Big Island, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 18 inches
• Damaging winds: Gust of 80 to 100 mph are possible across portions of the Hawaiian Islands, with an AccuWeather Local StomMax™ of 100 mph
• Flooding: Torrential rain could trigger flash flooding and mudslides, particularly across the higher elevations of the Big Island and other Hawaiian Islands
• Coastal impacts: Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected late this week through the weekend

Hurricanes are Rare in Hawaii

Since 1900, only two hurricanes, Dot (1959) and Iniki (1992) have made landfall on the islands, and no hurricane has made landfall on the Big Island in recorded history. Only two named storms have made landfall on the Big Island during that time: Iselle (2014) and Darby (2016).

One storm that closely resembles Lala was Hurricane Hone in August of 2024. Hurricane Hone passed about 50 miles south of the Big Island as a Category 1 storm. Despite never making landfall in Hawaii, the hurricane brought more than 2 feet of rain to places, causing significant flooding.