Hawaiian island in the Pacific, part of the eight-major-archipelago, facing storms and climate impacts
A roundup of recent studies and local efforts shows community-managed fishing areas and wildlife monitoring are shaping marine wildlife conservation. New methods reveal deeper whale shark behaviours and ongoing challenges from climate change and fishing practices, while regional initiatives seek to protect vulnerable species.
Hurricane Lala has strengthened to Category 1 and has battered Hawaii’s Big Island with heavy rain and strong winds, causing at least one death, widespread power outages and multiple homes damaged; tropical-storm warnings have affected Maui, Oahu and Kauai while forecasts predict the storm should clear the islands by Monday morning HST.
Hurricane Lala has been upgraded to Category 1 with 75 mph winds. The eyewall could pass near the Big Island’s southern tip this evening, threatening heavy rain and mudslides at high elevations. Officials warn of life-threatening floods, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching Oahu and Kauai by Sunday. Shelters have opened and advisories issued across Maui, Oahu, Kauai and neighboring islands.
A hurricane is tracking toward southwestern Mexico as it fuels on record-strong El Niño waters. NOAA says Polo remains an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm, with potential for heavy rain, flooding and dangerous surf along the Pacific coast; no landfall is expected but residents face urgent warnings.