Tropical Storm Lala strengthens into hurricane near Hawaii

HONOLULU, Hawaii — Tropical Storm Lala strengthened into a hurricane on Sunday as it moved toward Hawaii's Big Island, bringing intense rainfall and damaging winds to the Pacific U.S. state. Hawaii's governor declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm's impact across the island chain. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds were expected on the Big Island within hours of 3 p.m. local time, while tropical-storm-force winds had already begun. The center warned that heavy rainfall could cause life-threatening flash flooding and landslides, particularly on steep terrain. A hurricane warning was issued for the Big Island, while tropical storm warnings remained in effect for Maui, Molokai and Lanai. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast up to 64 centimeters (25 inches) of rain on the Big Island, with storm-surge-driven dangerous waves likely to continue through Sunday. The storm was moving with sustained winds of about 100 kilometers per hour, according to the Hurricane Center.