Hurricane Lala brought wind and rain to Hawaii on Saturday.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Hurricane Lala was located at latitude 18.7°N and longitude 156.0°W which put the center about 30 miles (50 km) southwest of South Point, Hawaii.  Lala was moving toward the northwest at 9 m.p.h. (15 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 95 m.p.h. (150 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 985 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.

The northeastern part of the eyewall of Hurricane Lala was over the southern end of the Big Island of Hawaii on Saturday evening.  The eye of Lala was passing just to the southwest of the Big Island.

A weather station at South Point reported a sustained wind speed of 35 m.p.h. (56 km/h) and a wind gust of 52 m.p.h. (84 km/h).

A weather station at Kailua Kona, Hawaii reported a sustained wind speed of 52 m.p.h. (85 km/h) and a wind gust of 71 m.p.h. (115 km/h).

A weather station in Kawaihae, Hawaii reported a sustained wind speed of 39 m.p.h. (63 km/h) and a wind gust of 61 m.p.h. (98 km/h).

Hurricane Lala strengthened a little more on Saturday evening.  A circular eye with a diameter of 20 miles (32 km) was at the center of Lala’s circulation.  The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring 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 hurricane.  The removal of mass in the upper levels caused the surface pressure to decrease on Saturday.

The strongest winds were occurring in the northern part of Hurricane Lala.  Winds to hurricane force extended out 45 miles (75 km) in the northern side of Lala’s circulation.  Wind to tropical storm force extended out 175 miles (280 km) in the northern side of Hurricane Lala.  Winds to tropical storm force only extended out 60 miles (95 km) in the southern side of Lala’s circulation.

Hurricane Lala will move into an environment that will become unfavorable 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 middle of an upper level ridge that is southwest of Hawaii. The upper level winds are weak near the middle of the ridge and there will be little vertical wind shear.  However, Hurricane Lala will continue to move into a region of drier air that is southwest of Hawaii.  In addition, the flow in the northeastern part of Lala’s circulation will be disrupted by the volcanic mountains on the Big Islands of Hawaii.  Hurricane Lala is likely to weaken on Sunday because of the disruption to its circulation and the effects of the drier air.

Hurricane Lala is likely to continue to move toward the northwest during the next few hours as Lala’s circulation interacts with the terrain on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Lala will move around the southern part of a high pressure system that is over the Central North Pacific Ocean on Sunday.  The high pressure system will steer Lala toward the west after it moves away from the Big Island.  On its anticipated track, the center of Hurricane Lala will pass south of Maui, Oahu, and Kauai.

Hurricane Lala will continue to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Big Island of Hawaii during the next few hours.  Hurricane 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.

Hurricane Lala will also bring gusty winds and heavy rain to Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau even though the center of circulation will pass south of those islands.

A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for the Big Island of Hawaii.

Flood Watches are in effect for Maui County, Oahu, and Kauai County.