Tropical Storm Moke tracker map: “life-threatening” warning for Hawaii
Hawaii faces “life threatening” flooding as Tropical Storm Moke hits the U.S. state on Sunday, days after the islands faced serious damage from Tropical Storm Lala.
There were winds of 45 mph on Saturday evening with the center of the latest storm forecast to pass south of the Big Island on Sunday and further south of the other islands next week, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Heavy rainfall is forecast to start impacting the Big Island early Sunday and spread westward throughout the day, according to the forecast.
Animated weather footage from windy.com reveals the extent of the rainfall forecast which will span 5 to 10 inches with up to 15 inches in some locations. Eastern Maui will receive 3 to 6 inches on average while the rest of the islands could see 1 to 2 inches of rain.
“This rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides for the windward and southeast Big Island, especially in steep terrain and over areas that were affected recently by Lala,” the NHC said in its advisory at 11 p.m. local time Saturday.
“Although the strongest winds associated with Moke are expected to pass south of the Hawaiian Islands, strong gusty winds are likely, particularly in areas within and downslope of higher terrain,” the statement added.
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said that impacts from Tropical Storm Lala, which struck earlier this month, meant that even light to moderate rain and wind could trigger flooding, debris, downed trees, roadway issues and power outages.”
“County departments have been preparing for Tropical Storm Moke, and we’re asking our community to do the same,” the statement added.
Tropical Storm Lala
The warning comes days after Tropical Storm Lala became second named storm to form in the Central Pacific and the ninth named storm to form across the broader Pacific basin so far in 2026.
Lala was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it struck but it brought heavy rains and winds to the Big Island where total rainfall over 48 hours topped 3.5ft in some areas, according to AccuWeather.
The waters damaged or swept away about 100 homes and six bridges, leaving more than 100,000 without power and causing millions of dollars in damage. A woman who had been reported missing in Naalehu was found dead on August 13.
On the same day, Randy Collins, Hawaii’s emergency management director, said that the cleanup operation involving heavy equipment, chain saws and generators also posed risks. The islands had also been threatened by Hurricane Fausto in July, before the storm weakened and headed north of the island chain.
“We know many in our community are experiencing storm fatigue and still recovering from last weekend’s weather system,” Bissen’s statement added.
The rainfall from Moke won’t be as high as Lala, but will still be dangerous, especially given the already saturated ground.
The 2026 Hurricane Season So Far
A hurricane hasn’t made direct landfall in Hawaii since Iniki in 1992, but the eye of the then-Category 1 Hurricane Lala passed just 30 miles off the Big Island’s coast. Hawaii is normally protected from tropical cyclones due to cooler sea-surface temperatures north and west of the islands that do not fuel approaching storms and strong vertical wind shear.
However, an extended El Niño weather pattern this year has meant warmer ocean waters that add momentum to tropical cyclone development.
Tropical Storm Arthur, which formed in mid-June, became the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season with heavy rainfall, flash flooding hitting parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast.
As of mid-August, only a handful of named storms have developed, and no hurricanes have formed, according to NHC.
The season has been running below the long-term average for this time of year, although the climatological peak of hurricane season, which typically occurs in September, still lies ahead.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Robert Greenall
