Hurricane Nolo Slows Near Hawaii, Could Reach Major Strength

Hurricane Nolo is forecast to slow down as it approaches Hawaii's Big Island and strengthen into a major hurricane this weekend, according to NPR. Forecasters warn the system will bring torrential rain to islands where the ground is already saturated from earlier storms this summer, NPR reports, raising the risk of flooding as Nolo's slower forward speed allows more rain to fall over the same areas.

What Makes Nolo a "Zig-Zagging" Storm?

The storm has been described as zig-zagging on its approach to Hawaii, a pattern that complicates forecasting because it does not follow a straight track toward land, per NPR's report. A slower-moving storm matters because it spends more time over one location, and rainfall totals climb the longer a system lingers rather than passing through quickly. NPR's account does not specify Nolo's current wind speed or exact coordinates, but it confirms the storm is expected to slow as it nears the Big Island.

When Is Nolo Expected to Peak in Strength?

Nolo is projected to become a major hurricane over the weekend, NPR reports. The National Hurricane Center classifies major hurricanes as Category 3 or stronger on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, the threshold at which storms are capable of producing catastrophic wind damage in addition to heavy rain. That classification standard is a fixed definition used across all Atlantic and Pacific storm advisories, not a figure specific to Nolo, but it frames why forecasters are flagging the weekend timeframe as the storm's most dangerous window near the islands.

Why Is Flooding the Bigger Concern Than Wind?

Hawaii's Big Island has already absorbed major storms this summer, leaving soil saturated and less able to absorb additional rainfall, according to NPR. When ground is already waterlogged, incoming rain runs off rather than soaking in, which raises the odds of flash flooding, stream overflow, and landslides even in areas that did not flood during earlier storms. NPR's report frames the flooding threat from Nolo as compounding on top of that existing saturation rather than starting from dry conditions.

Quick Facts

• Storm name: Nolo
• Target region: Hawaii's Big Island
• Forecast intensity: Expected to reach major hurricane strength (Category 3 or higher on the Saffir-Simpson scale) this weekend, per NPR
• Primary hazard cited: Torrential rain and flooding, compounded by ground already saturated from prior storms this summer

What Happened With Hawaii's Earlier Storms This Summer?

NPR's report references unspecified "big storms" that hit the islands earlier in the season and left the ground saturated ahead of Nolo's arrival. The source material does not name those earlier systems or provide rainfall totals, but the saturation they left behind is central to why forecasters are treating Nolo's rain threat as more serious than a storm of similar strength might otherwise pose on drier ground.

Timeline: Nolo's Approach to Hawaii

• Earlier this summer: Prior storms bring heavy rain to Hawaii, saturating soil across affected areas, according to NPR.
• Now (week of Sept. 25, 2026): Nolo is tracked on a zig-zagging path toward the islands.
• This weekend: Nolo is forecast to slow as it nears the Big Island and to strengthen into a major hurricane, per NPR's report.

NPR's dispatch is the only detailed account available on Nolo's track and intensity forecast as of publication. The report does not include specific wind-speed figures, a projected landfall time, or evacuation orders, and none of those details are stated here because they were not present in the sourcing. Readers in Hawaii are directed to official National Weather Service and county emergency-management channels for real-time advisories, since forecast tracks for slow-moving, zig-zagging storms can shift with limited notice.

For now, the confirmed elements are narrow but specific: a named storm, a slowing approach to a named island, a weekend intensity threshold, and a flood risk tied directly to ground conditions left by an earlier round of storms. NPR's original report is the source for each of those points and the one to watch for updates as Nolo nears the islands.