Hurricane Watch Issued for Hawaii as TS Lala Forms

Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean, prompting forecasters to issue a hurricane watch for the Big Island of Hawaii, where the system could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Lala is expected to bring rain to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday, along with high winds and dangerous surf.

The storm was located about 700 miles east-southeast of Hawaii, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour, and moving west, forecasters said.

Lala is forecast to strengthen and could approach hurricane strength by the time it reaches the Big Island. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible and is typically issued about 48 hours ahead of expected tropical-storm-force winds.

Forecasters warned the system could produce rainfall totals of five to ten inches across the island chain, with isolated areas seeing as much as twenty inches, raising the risk of flooding and mudslides.

Separately, Tropical Storm Hernan also formed in the Pacific on Thursday, though forecasters say it poses no threat to land. Hernan was located roughly 1,460 miles west of the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, with maximum sustained winds near 45 miles per hour, moving west-southwest.