Hurricane Nolo Brings Heavy Rain to Hawaii as Officials Fear Volcanic Eruption

Millions of residents across Hawaii are under alert this weekend as Hurricane Nolo continues to circulate off the coast, unleashing heavy rainfall and strong winds on the state. As of Sunday morning, Nolo had re-strengthened into a Category 2 storm with sustained winds reaching 105 mph. The system’s center was positioned approximately 200 miles south of South Point on the Big Island, moving westward at 9 mph.

Nolo briefly dropped to Category 1 strength on Saturday but intensified overnight. Forecasters predict the storm will grow even stronger before curving further west, keeping its center well south of the main Hawaiian Islands. Outer rain bands are expected to continue affecting the Big Island and Maui through Sunday, though intensity should decrease later in the day.

While all tropical alerts were canceled following Nolo’s weakening on Saturday, a flood watch remains in effect until Sunday night for the Big Island. Warnings for gusty winds persist until 6 p.m. local time for certain areas, where residents may still experience rough surf and strong breezes.

Nolo is one of three simultaneous hurricanes in the Pacific Ocean. Hurricane Polo, a major Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds, is forecast to bring tropical storm conditions to Baja California Sur as early as Sunday night. Meanwhile, Hurricane Odalys, a weak Category 1 system with 75 mph winds, is expected to turn south and dissipate later Sunday.

The presence of three Pacific hurricanes is rare; the last occurrence was in 2015 with storms Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena.

Beyond the weather threats, emergency officials are closely monitoring Kilauea volcano for signs of increased activity that could produce tephra, described by Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda as “volcanic hail.” Alameda told ABC News that precursor signals have been detected, raising concerns about ash potentially shooting up to 1,000 feet into the air.

“If that tephra got into our catchment tank, it impacts our water,” Alameda said, noting that contamination of water supplies, swimming pools, and roadways could escalate the situation into a disaster. “It’s very dangerous if it’s on our roads.”