Tropical Storm Moke to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight, bringing heavy rain

August 23, 2026 at 03:29 AM2 min

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Tropical Storm Moke is forecast to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight into Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. The storm comes a week after Hurricane Lala caused flooding and power outages across the island. Governor Josh Green has authorized 100 hotel rooms and pre-positioned equipment as residents prepare for the storm.

Key Facts

As of 11am Hawaii Standard Time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday, Moke was located about 684 km (425 miles) south of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 19 km/h (12 mph).
The National Hurricane Center reported Moke's maximum sustained winds at about 85 km/h (50 mph).
Moke is forecast to bring 130–250 mm (5–10 inches) of rain to the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island over the next two days, with isolated areas seeing up to 380 mm (15 inches).
Hurricane Lala, which struck a week earlier, dumped more than 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rain in some locations and left nearly 130,000 utility customers without power.
Governor Josh Green said power is expected to be fully restored by September 8, with some remote areas still experiencing outages.

Storm Track and Intensity

Moke is expected to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight and into Sunday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was moving west-northwest at 19 km/h (12 mph) as of 11am Hawaii Standard Time on Saturday. Meteorologist Casey Oswant of the Honolulu National Weather Service office said impacts will be felt mainly on the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island. After passing Hawaii Island, Moke is projected to continue westward near the islands through early Tuesday.

Preparations and Recovery

Governor Josh Green urged residents to restock food, medicine, and other daily essentials ahead of the storm. He said the state is pre-positioning additional equipment and personnel, and has authorized 100 hotel rooms for those needing shelter. Power has been restored to most of Hawaii Island after Hurricane Lala, but some remote areas remain without electricity. Full power restoration is expected by September 8, according to Green.