category 4

Lane still a Category 4 hurricane as it creeps closer toward Hawaii isles

Even if it does not make landfall, the National Weather Service warned, the storm could bring “life-threatening impacts,” including hurricane-force winds, torrential rain and flash flooding. The storm’s outer rain bands had put much of the eastern part of the Big Island of Hawaii under a flash flood warning by Thursday morning, and one site in Hilo had already recorded more than 18 inches of rain.

Officials warned that the unpredictable track of the hurricane left much of the state potentially vulnerable.

Hawaii bracing for Hurricane Hector

The National Weather Service said Hector remained a category four storm as it moved closer to Hawaii's Big Island.

At 11.30am (Hawaii time) today, the storm was located 1359 kms east of Hilo and forecast to pass to the south of Hawaii, the service said.

Hector continued to move in a westerly direction with winds as high as 250 km at its centre, it said.

The US National Hurricane Centre urged people to prepare for tropical storm force winds across Hawaii County on Wednesday.

Tropical Cyclone Winston now a four

The cyclone is moving at 12 kilometres an hour and intensifying.

Expect sustained winds of 166 kilometres an hour close to the centre, increasing to 185 kilometres an hour later today.

In Fiji, a flood alert remains in force for all low lying areas along Rakiraki river, including Rakiraki town.

Cyclone Victor to be Category Four by Monday, as Cook Islanders hit by winds

The atoll has been on high alert as the cyclone, upgraded to category 3 on Sunday and centred several hundred kilometres away, moved slowly towards it.

Winds close to the centre are about 115 km/h. The Fiji Meteorological Service says the cyclone is intensifying and the wind strength will increase to 150 km/h.