Hurricane Watch Posted on Hawaii’s Big Island as Nolo approaches | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — A hurricane watch has been issued for Hawaii’s Big Island as Tropical Storm Nolo strengthens south of the island chain.
Nolo, with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles (64 kilometers) per hour, was 500 miles south of Honolulu and on a track that will take it as a major hurricane near the Big Island early Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. In addition to the hurricane watch, flood watches have been issued for the Big Island, Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe through Saturday.
“Residents and visitors should take this threat very seriously,” the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said on Facebook. Torrential rains on the Big Island and Maui “create the potential for life-threatening flooding and mudslides.”
If Nolo follows the forecast and deviates, it will mark another near miss amid an active storm season fueled by a strengthening El Nino in the equatorial Pacific and unusually warm ocean water around California and Mexico.
Nolo is already compounding flood damage that has been accumulating since last winter, when a series of Kona Lows began drenching Hawaii, forcing residents from their homes, closing roads and causing widespread power outages.
At least five tropical systems have threatened Hawaii so far, including Hurricane Lowell, which prompted warnings on Oahu and Kauai earlier this month, and Lala, which came within miles of making landfall on the Big Island in August.
Up to 51 centimeters of rain could fall across the Big Island, with up to 35 inches in some isolated spots, the hurricane center said. Up to 10 inches is expected on Maui, with some areas receiving up to 20 inches and the rest of the chain could get 1 to 3 inches.
Hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph could be expected on the Big Island starting Friday, and the south coast could see storm surges of up to three feet. While Nolo is forecast to build strength slowly over the next day, it is expected to strengthen quickly as it moves over very warm waters south of Hawaii, Eric Blake, the U.S. center’s chief hurricane specialist, wrote in the forecast.
Rapid intensification occurs when the storm’s top winds increase to about 35 mph within 24 hours. These events can leave residents and officials with little time to prepare.
“The time to prepare for significant heavy rain and flooding impacts on the Big Island is now as heavy rain becomes more likely Thursday and Friday,” Blake wrote.
As forecasters monitor Nolo, powerful Hurricane Polo continues to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Mexico’s west coast.
Polo, with top winds of 145 mph, is a Category 4 hurricane on the five-point Saffir-Simpson wind scale, the center said in an advisory.
While Polo is not expected to make landfall, it will be near the coast by Thursday before moving out to sea. Up to 6 inches of rain could fall in the Mexican state of Guerrero, leading to flooding and mudslides. Heavy rain is also expected in parts of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco.
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