Tropical Storm Lala strengthened on Saturday morning as it brought wind and rain to Hawaii. At 2:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Lala was located at latitude 17.9°N and longitude 155.0°W which put the center about 90 miles (145 km) south-southeast of South Point, Hawaii. Lala was moving toward the west at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 70 m.p.h. (110 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 85 m.p.h. (135 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 990 mb.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Hawaii County.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Maui County including Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Oahu and for Kauai County including Kauai and Niihau.
Bands in the northern side of Tropical Storm Lala are already bringing gusty winds and rain to parts of Hawaii.
A weather station at Puulao on the Big Island of Hawaii reported a sustained wind speed of 46 m.p.h. (74 km/h) and a wind gust of 69 m.p.h. (111 km/h). The weather station is at an elevation of 3366 feet (1026 m).
The weather station at the Daniel K. Inouye Airport in Honolulu reported a wind gust of 40 m.p.h. (64 km/h).
Tropical Storm Lala strengthened to near hurricane intensity on Saturday morning. The inner end of a rainband wrapped around the center of Lala’s circulation. A circular eye was evident on satellite and radar images at the center of Tropical Storm Lala. The eye was surrounded by a broken ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that broken rings of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the center of Lala’s circulation. Storms near the center of Lala generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the tropical storm. The removal of mass in the upper levels caused the surface pressure to decrease on Saturday.
The distribution of wind speeds in Tropical Storm Lala was still asymmetrical. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 205 miles (335 km) in the northern half of Lala’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out only 45 miles in the southern half of Tropical Storm Lala.
Tropical Storm Lala will move through an environment favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Lala will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 27°C. It will move under the southern part of an upper level trough that is northeast of Hawaii. The upper level ridge will produce southwesterly winds that will blow toward the top of Lala’s circulation. Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification, but the wind shear will not be enough to prevent intensification. Lala will continue to move into a region of drier air as it comes close to the Big Island of Hawaii. Tropical Storm Lala is likely to intensify to a hurricane during the next 24 hours even with the effects of the wind shear and drier air.
Tropical Storm Lala will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Central Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Lala toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. As the circulation around Tropical Storm Lala interacts with the terrain on the Big Island of Hawaii, Lala could be pulled northwest for a few hours. On its anticipated track, the center of Tropical Storm Lala will come very close to the Big Island of Hawaii in a few hours.
Tropical Storm Lala could be a hurricane when the center of circulation comes near the Big Island of Hawaii. Lala will bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Big Island of Hawaii. Lala could drop 16 to 20 inches (400 to 500 mm) of rain on the eastern slopes where the wind blows of the slope. Isolated locations could receive 25 inches (635 mm) of rain. Heavy rain is likely to cause flash floods in some locations.
Tropical Storm Lala will also bring gusty winds and heavy rain to Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau.
Flood Watches are in effect for Hawaii County, Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County.