Heavy rains and strong winds are expected to begin the night of Saturday, Aug. 22, on the Big Island of Hawaii as Tropical Storm Moke heads its way, a week after Hurricane Lala unleashed more than 3 feet of flooding rainfall on the island.
Tropical Storm Moke formed in the Pacific on Aug. 21 and is projected to pass south of the Big Island by a couple hundred miles, but its impacts will extend far enough to threaten more than a foot of additional rain in some parts and gusty winds in areas of high terrain.
Moke is not expected to become a hurricane or make landfall, according to the the National Hurricane Center.
Rainfall will begin falling heavily on the Big Island late on Aug. 22 before spreading to the rest of the Hawaiian Islands on Aug. 23
and into early next week, forecasters said.
Where is Tropical Storm Moke?
The morning of Aug. 22, Moke, pronounced MOH-keh, was located about 470 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, on the Big Island. It was moving west-northwest at a speed of 12 mph, and its maximum sustained winds were clocked at about 50 mph.
Moke has strengthened since forming on Aug. 21 and is on track for additional strengthening on Aug. 22 before gradual weakening begins on Aug. 23, forecasters said. Tropical-storm-force winds are extending outward up to 115 miles from Moke's center. Its maximum wind speeds could reach up to 60 mph late Aug. 22.
Impacts to begin in Hawaii tonight, forecasters say
Rainfall between 5 and 10 inches, with some isolated totals up to 15 inches, is expected across the Big Island of Hawaii from Tropical Storm Moke.
"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 hurricane center said in an advisory.
The rain comes a week after Hurricane Lala dumped up to 40 inches on parts of the Big Island. More than 9,000 homes and businesses were still without power on the Big Island as of Aug. 22, according to USA TODAY's power outage tracker. Hawaiian Electric said nearly all but those in remote and severely damaged areas should have had power restored by Aug. 21. Some customers in Ka'u on the island aren't expected to see full power restored until Sept. 8, the utility said.
Moke's rainfall will begin impacting the Big Island the night of Aug. 22 into early Aug. 23 before spreading to the other islands Aug. 23 into early next week, forecasters said. Between 1 and 2 inches, with maximum totals of 4 inches in some places, are expected on eastern Maui. The rest of the islands could see 1 to 2 inches of rain, the hurricane center said.
Gusty winds across the Hawaiian Islands are also expected Aug. 22 into Aug. 23, especially in areas of higher terrain. Life-threatening swells and rip currents are possible along east- and south-facing shores.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rain from Tropical Storm Moke to begin in Hawaii, a week after Lala
