Hawaii Under Statewide Flood Watch for Heavy Rain

A powerful storm system is battering Hawaii with heavy rain and thunderstorms, heightening flood risks across the islands as communities continue to recover from devastating floods in March. The National Weather Service has issued a statewide flood watch through Friday afternoon, warning of potential flash flooding, landslides and stream overflows from late Tuesday into the weekend.

The system, a slow-moving low-pressure trough northwest of the islands, began delivering waves of showers Tuesday afternoon, with initial downpours prompting flash flood warnings on Maui and the Big Island. Forecasters anticipate 4 to 8 inches of rain statewide by Friday evening, with isolated totals exceeding 10 inches possible, particularly on the windward slopes of the Big Island and Kauai. "There will be waves of rainfall, locally heavy, across the Big Island the next three or four days," said Patrick Blood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Instability could spark thunderstorms and gusty southerly winds up to 40 mph, especially Thursday and Friday, enhancing moisture inflow from the equatorial Pacific.

This marks the third major weather event since mid-March,...