HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Flood Watch has been issued for the islands of Hawaii and Maui County ahead of a potential tropical cyclone in the next few days.
The watch will be in effect from noon Wednesday through 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu.
The rainfall will come from the north side of former Tropical Depression 15-E, which now has a 90% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. When it becomes a tropical storm, it will get the Hawaiian name “Nolo.”
The Weather Service said life-threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding and mudslides will be possible from rainfall of more than a foot. The highest potential for flooding will be for windward and southeast portions of Hawaii Island — which were already heavily damaged by heavy rain from Hurricane Lala in August — and windward areas of Maui. However, other areas of Maui County will also be at risk for flooding.
Besides rain, there’s also a potential for strong wind. There’s still a lot of uncertainty over how close the system will get to the islands. However, there is the possibility for increasing winds across the state, especially late this week into the weekend.
View the latest weather conditions here.
Download the HNN Weather app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for the latest updates from your First Alert Weather Team: chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins and weather anchors Guy Hagi, Dan Cooke, Ben Gutierrez, and Billy V.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.