"It's actually hard for us to see… I've got a lot of water in my eyes," says a local reporter during a live TV broadcast on the Hawaii County coast<\/p>\n
Hawaii is bracing for what could be its first direct hit from a hurricane since 1992, as category one storm Lala churns off its coast.<\/p>\n
With wind speeds as high as 80mph (130km\/h), Lala gained hurricane strength on Saturday. In a worst-case scenario, it could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island and produce a 3ft storm surge.<\/p>\n
A hurricane warning is in effect for Big Island, while Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau are under tropical storm warnings. Officials have told residents to prepare for "life-threatening" conditions, including floods and mudslides.<\/p>\n
The storm is expected to either make landfall or pass close to the southern tip of Big Island on Saturday, before continuing west.<\/p>\n
In an update at 17:00 local time (03:00 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said Lala's eye wall was "brushing the southern portion of the Big Island".<\/p>\n
"Damaging winds a heavy rain will persist across the Big Island throughout tonight and spread westwards across the smaller islands on Sunday," it said.<\/p>\n
The last time a hurricane made landfall on Hawaii's Big Island was 155 years ago, according to the Associated Press news agency.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, Lala will continue moving westwards, and may weaken into a tropical storm, with the centre passing just below Hawaii's other islands.<\/p>\n
Watch: Strong winds and downpours in Maui and Honolulu as storm Lala approaches<\/p>\n
Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned residents to brace for "an incredible amount of water".<\/p>\n
"Damaging winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous surf are possible across the state through the weekend," he posted on X.<\/p>\n
At Ellison Onizuka Kona International – Big Island's largest airport – 40% of flights were grounded, according to flightaware.com. Some 80% of flights were called off at its other main airport, Hilo International.<\/p>\n
The more dire forecasts from the National Weather Service (NWS) have been issued for areas within Big Island's south-east.<\/p>\n
"Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues," the NWS said, adding that rivers and tributaries "may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places".<\/p>\n