Hurricane Lane: Weather service issues hurricane watches for Hawaii and Maui as tropical storm upgrades to category 4

'Major Hurricane Lane could bring significant impacts to the Hawaiian Islands late week and into the weekend,' officials say

The National Weather Service has issued hurricane watches for Hawaii and Maui counties with Hurricane Lane barreling towards the islands having been upgraded to a Category 4 storm.

Lane has sustained winds of 150 miles per hour as of Tuesday morning local time, the National Weather Service of Honolulu said

“Major Hurricane Lane could bring significant impacts to the Hawaiian Islands late week and into the weekend,” officials said. “All residents in [Hawaii] are urged to stay abreast of the situation.”

Officials said it was too early to report which of the main Hawaiian islands would be directly impacted – though they noted if the hurricane’s centre remained offshore its impacts could still extend well away from the centre. Intense showers and thunderstorms surrounding the hurricane are expected to reach the Big Island late on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Senior Honolulu forecaster Tom Birchard said it’s possible island Oahu and Kaui could be included in a watch.

Officials have also issued tropical storm watches and flash flood watches for islands Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, Oahu and the Big Island.

“As Hurricane Lane approaches the islands from the south, deep tropical moisture associated with Lane will spread across the island chain from the east, with increased potential for heavy rainfall,” officials said.

A local hurricane statement advised residents to take various precautionary actions, including creating an emergency plan and listening to local officials for possible evacuation orders. Officials warned that flooding rain as a result of the storm could have grave impacts.

“Prepare for life-threatening rainfall flooding having possible devastating impacts across the main Hawaiian islands,” an official statement read.