LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Hurricane Lane has grown to a category 5 storm as it approaches Hawaii with potential for torrential rain, flash flooding and landslides, forecasters said.
As per the latest models, the center of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday, the National Weather Service’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu said.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 160 miles (260 kilometers) per hour.
Starting Wednesday night it was forecast to dump 10 to 15 inches of rain, with isolated amounts greater than 20 inches over the Hawaiian Islands, the center said.
This is expected to trigger flash flooding and landslides, the NWS said.
© Agence France-Presse