HONOLULU -- Tropical Storm Lala formed Thursday in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to become a hurricane while approaching the Big Island of Hawaii, where it could bring heavy rain and flooding this weekend, forecasters said. The storm is forecast to bring rain to the Hawaiian Islands starting late Friday as well as high winds and dangerous surf, the National Hurricane Center said. A hurricane warning is in effect for Hawaii County and a tropical storm watch is in place for Maui County including the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, forecasters said. Lala was about 455 miles (735 kilometres) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, and about 670 miles (1,075 kilometres) east-southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) while moving west-northwest, the Miami-based centre said. Lala is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it approaches the Big Island. It’s expected to be near the island Saturday. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected, and it is typically issued 36 hours before potential tropical-storm-force winds. The system could bring rainfall totals of 8 inches to a foot (up to about 30 centimetres) across Maui and the Big Island, with as much as 25 inches (nearly 64 centimetres) possible across the Big Island, forecasters said. That could produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the centre said. Also in the Pacific, Tropical Storm Hernan formed Thursday but wasn’t threatening land and was weakening while moving south. Hernan was about 1,505 miles (2,420 kilometres) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico with maximum sustained winds around 40 mph (65 km/h), the centre said. In the Atlantic Ocean, former Tropical Storm Cristobal weakened and degenerated into a post-tropical remnant low on Thursday, the centre said. It was about 500 miles (805 kilometres) west of the Azores and didn’t threaten land.
