Tropical Storm Moke Bears Down on Hawaii as State Reels From Hurricane Lala
Tropical Storm Moke was advancing toward Hawaii on 22 August 2026, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to a state still recovering from Hurricane Lala, a Category 1 storm that struck the previous weekend, killing at least one person and knocking out power to nearly 130,000 utility customers. As of 11:00 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time (21:00 GMT) on 22 August, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) placed Moke roughly 684 kilometres (425 miles) south of Hilo, moving west-northwest at 19 km/h (12 mph) with maximum sustained winds near 85 km/h (50 mph) Al Jazeera.
Moke formed on 21 August and began strengthening that evening. Forecasters expected its winds to peak near 60 mph before its outer rain bands reached Hawaii Island, also known as the Big Island. The NHC's Central Pacific Hurricane Center was actively issuing advisories, warning that rainfall and gusty winds would begin on the Big Island the night of 22 August and spread from there. As of Public Advisory #9, issued at 5:00 a.m. HST, no coastal watches or warnings were in effect, though the NHC projected Moke would pass close enough to the Hawaiian islands to produce wind, rain, and surf impacts. The agency also warned that swells generated by the storm could cause life-threatening surf and rip currents across Hawaiian waters.
The storm was expected to pass south of Hawaii Island overnight on 22–23 August, then continue on a westward track near the island chain through early Tuesday, according to meteorologist Casey Oswant of the Honolulu office of the US National Weather Service (NWS). Oswant noted that Moke's impacts would likely be more limited than Hurricane Lala's, particularly on the windward and southeast sides of the Big Island. "Windward" refers to the side of the island that faces the prevailing trade winds and typically receives more rain.
Rainfall projections reflect the uneven distribution common to Central Pacific tropical systems that interact with Hawaii's complex terrain. The islands' mountains can squeeze extra moisture out of passing storms, a process called orographic enhancement, which means some areas see far more rain than others. The NHC forecast 130 to 250 mm (5 to 10 inches) of rain over two days on the southeast and windward sides of the Big Island, with isolated areas potentially receiving up to 380 mm (15 inches). Eastern Maui was projected to see 76 to 150 mm (3 to 6 inches), with lighter accumulations across the remainder of the island chain. The NWS Honolulu office maintained a Flood Watch for the Big Island and issued a Wind Advisory for the state. Trade winds were expected to strengthen as Moke passed south of the islands over the 22–23 August weekend. A Small Craft Advisory was in effect for Hawaiian coastal waters, and the NWS surf forecast indicated a High Surf Advisory might be needed for southeast shores of the Big Island on the night of 22 August into 23 August.
The compounding nature of Moke's arrival cannot be separated from the Lala aftermath. Hurricane Lala dumped more than 1,000 mm (39 inches) of rain on parts of Hawaii Island, causing rivers to breach their banks and triggering widespread flooding. Power restoration was not expected to be fully complete until 8 September 2026, with some remote areas still experiencing outages as Moke approached. Governor Josh Green urged residents to restock food, medicine, and other essentials ahead of the storm and authorised 100 hotel rooms for individuals lacking adequate shelter or services. Green also warned that another storm front was expected to follow Moke by roughly one week, raising the prospect of a third tropical system affecting the state within a matter of weeks.
The broader context here is a cluster of back-to-back tropical cyclone impacts on a geographically isolated state with limited logistical redundancy in its power, water, and supply-chain infrastructure. Hawaii's utility grid, still mid-restoration from Lala, faces renewed stress from Moke's winds and rainfall. Saturated soils on the Big Island also elevate the risk of flash flooding and landslides even at moderate rainfall totals, because the ground can absorb little additional water. Governor Green's advance warning of a third system on the horizon compounds the operational challenge for emergency managers who must sequence shelter capacity, power restoration, and debris clearance across overlapping recovery and response phases.
For meteorologists and emergency management professionals tracking this event, several variables warrant close monitoring. Moke's track south of the Big Island keeps the strongest winds offshore, but orographic enhancement on windward slopes could push local rainfall beyond NHC guidance. The NHC's Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific basins were both free of tropical cyclone activity as of the 22:36 UTC update on 22 August, meaning Moke was currently the sole active tropical system under NHC purview, though the Central North Pacific warning area (140°W to 180°) is where operational focus was concentrated. The potential for a third storm within approximately one week, as flagged by Governor Green, would test the capacity of state and county agencies already stretched by the Lala response. Residents and visitors in southeast and windward Big Island locations face the most immediate risk from overnight rainfall and surf, with Maui's eastern coast the secondary zone of concern.
