HONOLULU: Tropical Storm Lane threatened to drench Hawaii’s most populated island of Oahu on Saturday, after lingering just south of the US state and unleashing torrential rains and flooding on the Big Island, weather and civil defence officials said.

Hawaii was spared a direct hit by a major hurricane as Lane, once a monster tempest, weakened on Friday into a tropical storm with sustained winds of 65 miles per hour.

Early on Saturday it remained south of Hawaii and was moving slowly north-northwest through the Pacific Ocean, its outer rain bands producing severe flooding across parts of the islands.

“Regardless of the storm’s track, life threatening flash flooding, along with locally strong winds and possible isolated tornadoes, will continue to extend far beyond the centre’s location,” the National Weather Service’s Honolulu office said. “Do not focus on the exact forecast track or intensity of Lane.”

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2018