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Hurricane Lala brings strong winds and heavy rain to Hawaii, leading to one fatality and widespread damage, with over 60,000 residents left without power.
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August 17, 2026
12:00 am
Get you up to speed: At least one dead after Hurricane Lala lashes Hawaii with 91mph winds | News World
Hurricane Lala impacted Hawaii, resulting in at least one confirmed death due to a car accident as the storm brought strong winds and heavy rainfall. Over 60,000 residents are without power, and two homes in Naalehu have been destroyed by floods.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts that Hurricane Lala will continue to impact the region into Sunday, while 60,000 residents remain without power due to the storm’s effects. Hilo International Airport and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport have both been closed, resulting in the postponement of 190 flights.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green confirmed the death of one individual due to a car accident caused by Hurricane Lala’s severe weather, while county mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents via Facebook to prioritise safety and shelter in place. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has announced that residents should have completed preparations to protect life and property, as warnings remain in effect for multiple Hawaiian islands while Lala continues to weaken.
What remains unclear — It is not known how many individuals were affected by the power outages or if further fatalities have occurred.
One dead as Hurricane Lala hits Hawaii with 91mph winds and heavy rain
At least one person has died after Hurricane Lala pelted Hawaii with strong winds and torrential rain.
The core of the first tropical storm to form in the central Pacific this year ‘brushed’ just south of Big Island yesterday.
Lala brought with it winds of up to 91mph, dumped 25 inches of rain on the island, and whipped up a 3ft storm surge, a change in sea level.
One person died in a ‘terrible car accident’ as the storm rolled by, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said.
County mayor Kimo Alameda urged residents on Facebook this morning to ‘stay home, stay sheltered, stay safe!’ as the storm now pulls back.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned yesterday evening that the ‘damaging’ Category 1 hurricane will continue Sunday.
More than 60,000 are without power and two homes in Naalehu have been swept away by ‘life-threatening’ floods, Honolulu-Star Advertiser reports.
A vehicle drives near a downed utility pole dangling above Mamalahoa Highway (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/AP)
A young green sea turtle fills up on grass as ocean waters rise (Picture: AFP)
Hurricane Lala’ rolled past Hawaii’s Big Island yesterday (Picture: Zuma Press Wire/Shutterstock)
At least one person has died in the storm (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle)
Mudslides are a major worry among those living around Mauna Kea volcano, where many live off the grid and in ramshackle homes.
The weather agency added: ‘Preparations to protect life and property should now be complete.’
Lala will begin to weaken as it passes south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands, though it may strengthen next week.
Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Lanai, Kauai and Ni’ihau remain under tropical storm warnings, while most of the islands are at risk of floods.
‘I think stocking up is part of life over here’
Big Island, home to 210,000, is Hawaii’s largest island.
Locals began to hunker down on Friday, packing into gymnasiums, courthouses and schools-turned-shelters, emptying supermarkets of food, petrol and sandbags and tying posessions down, according to Hawaii News Now.
Bobby Camara, 75, told The Associated Press that he planned to shelter, ‘cross my fingers and hope the lights don’t go out’ at his care home in Hilo.
‘I think stocking up is part of life over here,’ he said, adding: ‘You learn to be self-reliant.’
Hawaiians have stocked up on supplies, including sandbags (Picture: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chroni)
Mike Caputo, who lives in Keaau on Big Island’s east coast, said albizia, a common large tree, is so brittle that the storm may easily down it.
‘They can make roads impassable,’ he added.
Nearly 40 roads have been shut due to mudslides and trees and power lines torn down by the winds, county officials said.
Christine Matsuda, who lives in Waimea, said the gusts have ‘rattled’ her home.
‘We’re finding unexpected leaks in places that don’t see water under normal conditions,’ she said.
Hilo International Airport (ITO) and Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) were closed yesterday, postponing 190 flights.
A notice on their websites says: ‘Due to the declared state of emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Lala, travellers are strongly advised to check directly with their airline for the most up-to-date status and travel advisories.’
Hurricanes are circular storms that form over warm waters, with very low air pressure at the centre. Unlike a typhoon, they form in the North Atlantic, the northeastern Pacific, the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico.
Only 19 hurricanes have passed within 100 miles of Hawaii, most during periods of El Niño, a weather system that blows warm ocean water west.
Dozens of roads are closed (Picture: AFP)
Lala’s path as of Friday (Picture: National Hurricane Center)
Lala curdled from a tropical storm into a hurricane (Picture: NOAA/AFP/Getty Images)
Lala would have been the first hurricane to make landfall in 34 years if initial projections were correct.
The hurricane rolled onto the island two days after Kīlauea, a volcano along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island, erupted.
For some 10 hours, lava flowed and spurts reached 500ft, with officials warning another episode is likely.
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August 17, 2026
12:00 am
August 16, 2026
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Belgium battles historic wildfire as heat fuels blazes across Europe
Largest wildfire
Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve has experienced a wildfire that has more than doubled in size to around 3,000 hectares, marking the largest in Belgium’s recorded history.
Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve has experienced a wildfire that has more than doubled in size to around 3,000 hectares, marking the largest in Belgium’s recorded history.
Strategic Response
Belgium’s activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism facilitated the deployment of international firefighting resources, indicating a coordinated regional response to the unprecedented wildfire threat.
Belgium’s activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism facilitated the deployment of international firefighting resources, indicating a coordinated regional response to the unprecedented wildfire threat.
Official Response
“We have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft to support ongoing firefighting efforts,” stated the Belgian government.
“We have activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, deploying three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft to support ongoing firefighting efforts,” stated the Belgian government.
Europe continues to battle wildfires as Belgium sees biggest blaze in recorded history
Published on •Updated
Wildfires are continuing to burn across several parts of Europe, with firefighters battling major blazes in Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Spain and Greece amid persistent heat and dry conditions.
A fire in Belgium’s High Fens nature reserve has more than doubled in size in 24 hours, to around 3,000 hectares. The fire, which started two days ago, is now the largest wildfire in Belgium’s recorded history.
Authorities in the country’s Wallonia region said more than 250 firefighters and other emergency service workers were deployed on Saturday night. The reserve is particularly vulnerable to wildfires because of its extensive peatlands and pine forests, which have been dried out by prolonged hot weather
In a post on social media, Belgium’s unified defence force said it had sent personnel and vehicles to support firefighters.
Firefighters from neighbouring Germany and Luxembourg have also been sent to help contain the fire, which is heading towards the border with Germany. Local farmers have also been assisting with the blaze.
Belgium activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on Saturday, which brought in three helicopters and two water-bombing aircraft from Sweden, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
On Saturday afternoon, some residents in Belgium’s Liège province were asked to evacuate their homes. Local media reports that 600 people had been asked to leave, and that a rest shelter had been set up in a gymnasium in the neighbouring Malmedy municipality.
Across the border inside Germany, emergency services made significant progress in fighting a fire in the Hürtgen forest that forced evacuations on Friday. Around 2,000 people who had to leave the village of Gey were able to return home on Saturday evening, German news agency dpa reported.
In France, authorities say there were no major flare-ups overnight as they continue to tackle large-scale fires in the southwestern Landes region. More than 1,700 hectares have been scorched since Thursday, mostly pine forests. French media reports that 550 firefighters, assisted by military personnel and six water-bombing aircraft are in attendance. The fire remains out of control.
Another fire in the northeast of the country has begun to improve. 100 hectares have burned in the Ardennes region. The situation had been described as “unprecedented in the recent history”, according to the deputy director of the Ardennes fire service, David Gouzou.
In Croatia, four people have been arrested on suspicion of starting wildfires on the coastline. Fires ripped through pine forests and olive groves amid high temperatures and droughts.
In Greece, fire crews have spent a second day fighting an outbreak in a forest on the island of Skyros. The local mayor told media he believed the fire would be fully extinguished within a day.
Authorities in Spain’s Aragon deployed what they called the largest firefighting arsenal in the region’s history as French reinforcements were due to help contain a wildfire that has threatened a 1,000-year-old monastery.
The fire, which broke out just over a week ago in its Huesca municipality of Las Peñas de Riglos continued to spread, affecting an area of up to 16,600 hectares. Windy conditions have caused the blaze to spread further, hindering efforts to contain it.
Additional sources • AP, AFP
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