Storm becomes first major hurricane of 2026 in basin
Hurricane Lala strengthened rapidly into a Category 3 storm late Tuesday as it tracked west-northwest away from Hawaii, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Forecasters at the center described Lala as the first major hurricane of 2026 in the Central Pacific basin.
As of the late-Tuesday advisory, the storm was located about 335 miles (535 kilometers) south-southeast of Maro Reef and was moving west-northwest at 125 mph (205 kph). The hurricane center said it expected Lala to remain a hurricane for the next several days, with forecasters predicting additional strengthening overnight followed by slow weakening.
A hurricane warning was issued for the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The hurricane center said a warning means hurricane conditions are expected in the area within roughly 36 hours. The islands in the warning area have no permanent population.
Lala had earlier battered parts of Hawaii on Sunday as it passed the state without making landfall, according to the hurricane center. The storm weakened from a hurricane into a tropical storm during that pass. Crews were working to clean up and restore power in parts of the state following the storm’s earlier passage.