Updated

Hurricane Nolo churned south of Hawaii's Big Island through late September 2026, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, prompting the state to activate more than 230 National Guard members and close schools ahead of expected impacts. Forecasters warned of potentially life-threatening and catastrophic flash flooding, heavy rain and large waves, hitting communities still recovering from two earlier major storms this summer — Hurricanes Lala in August and Lowell in early September — which had already downed trees, flooded homes and knocked out power across the islands. Nolo was the third major tropical storm to threaten Hawaii in recent months. Scientists and reporting linked the unusually active storm pattern to a supercharged El Niño warming ocean temperatures and fueling more frequent, intense storms in the central Pacific. GDACS classified Nolo as a hurricane/typhoon-strength system (up to 250 km/h) active from 13-30 September, affecting the United States.