Hurricane Lane: Hawaii residents warned of 150mph winds and flash flooding

Hawaii residents told to brace for 150mph winds and flash flooding as Hurricane Lane approaches islands

  • NASA satellite imagery shows the storms approaching from the south east 
  • Forecasters have warned Hurricane Lane could bring winds of up to 150mph 
  • Hawaii residents have been warned to brace for extreme conditions on Thursday 
  • The storm is currently moving westward at 14 mph but may not affect the islands 

Hawaii has been issued with an extreme weather warning as Hurricane Lane hovers dangerously close to the islands.

Islanders are being warned the dangerous Category 4 storm could bring winds with a maximum sustained speed of 150mph and flash flooding as early as Thursday.

NASA satellite imagery shows the hurricane is currently in the Central Pacific Ocean southeast of the islands.

The National Weather Service warns that the entire state of Hawaii needs to brace for a possible hurricane strike because of the uncertainty of Lane’s path and its intensity.  

NASA satellite imagery shows the gathering storm just a few hundred miles from the group of islands

Forecasters have suggested the hurricane could take several different paths so have yet to issue an official hurricane watch warning

Forecasters have suggested the hurricane could take several different paths so have yet to issue an official hurricane watch warning

As of Monday, the storm is about 600 miles (966 kilometers) southeast of Hilo on the Big Island, or about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) from the state’s capital city of Honolulu.

The storm is currently moving westward at 14 mph (22 km/h) and should continue to move west over the next day or so.

But forecast models are indicating that Lane will turn in a more northerly direction by late Tuesday and Wednesday, which could put it on track to bring significant impacts to the islands. 

‘Latest forecast models indicate that, regardless of the eventual track and intensity of Lane, an extremely moist air mass will move over the islands beginning around Wednesday, and then persist through the end of the week,’ forecasters said.

‘This is expected to result in very heavy rainfall, potentially leading to flash flooding.’ 

Hawaii has been plagued by freak natural events this year after a 30,000 foot high ash cloud from the Kilauea volcano blanketed the island in lava and dust. 

Residents were forced to flee their homes after the eruptions and emergency services forced to work overtime to deal with the chaos caused to local services. 

Forecasters said the extreme weather formation could bring with it flash flooding and winds of up to 150mph

Forecasters said the extreme weather formation could bring with it flash flooding and winds of up to 150mph

The National Weather Service warned islanders to be prepared for the possibility of extreme conditions

The National Weather Service warned islanders to be prepared for the possibility of extreme conditions

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