Former Tropical Storm Lala strengthened back to a hurricane on Monday night. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Hurricane Lala was located at latitude 20.4°N and longitude 166.1°W which put the center about 635 miles (1025 km) southeast of Lisianski Island. Lala was moving toward the west at 10 m.p.h. (16 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 80 m.p.h. (130 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 100 m.p.h. (130 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 985 mb.
Former Tropical Storm Lala strengthened back to a hurricane on Monday night. A small circular eye 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 core of Hurricane Lala. Storms near the core of Lala generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away from the hurricane. The removal of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The circulation around Hurricane Lala was smaller than Lala was when it moved near the Hawaiian Islands. Winds to hurricane force extended out 20 miles in the northern side of Lala’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 90 miles (145 km) from the center of Hurricane Lala.
Hurricane Lala will move through an environment that will be 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 middle of an upper level ridge that is west 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 also west of Hawaii. The drier air will inhibit intensification. Hurricane Lala is likely to intensify during the next 24 hours despite the effects of the drier air.
Hurricane Lala will move around the southern part of a high pressure system that is over the Central North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Lala toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Hurricane Lala will continue to move farther away from Hawaii.