Updated

Hurricane Nolo strengthened into a hurricane south of Hawaii's Big Island, with maximum sustained winds around 105-165 km/h, prompting warnings of potentially catastrophic, life-threatening flash flooding and large waves. Hawaii activated more than 230 National Guard members and closed schools ahead of the storm, which is the third major tropical system to menace the islands this season after Hurricanes Lala and Lowell earlier in the summer. Forecasters linked the unusually active Hawaii hurricane season to a supercharged El Niño warming ocean temperatures and fueling more frequent, severe storms, with communities still recovering from prior flooding, downed trees and power line damage.