weather

The National Weather Service says rain could trigger localized flooding over burn scars in Lahaina and Kula. Maui County says it has placed 40 pallets of straw barriers around Lahaina and that 25 staff members are on standby.

Strong winds and dry conditions have prompted a red flag warning for leeward sides of all Hawaiian Islands until Tuesday evening. The warning is in place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The four schools closed Monday are King Kamehameha III Elementary, Princess Nāhi’ena’ena Elementary, Lāhainā Intermediate and Lāhaināluna High. The red flag warning has been canceled for Oʻahu and Kauaʻi as of Monday morning. It remains for Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island.

Authorities in Hawaiʻi say a wildfire that has burned forestlands in a remote mountainous area of Central Oʻahu has moved eastward and away from population centers as firefighters continue to battle it.

Drought conditions across Upcountry Maui have prompted the county to update its water shortage status for the unforeseeable future. Demand for water in the area currently exceeds supply by 20% — which moves its status from Stage 1 to Stage 2, county officials said Thursday.

Big Island lawmakers want to beef up the island’s fire department to prevent significant damage from future wildfires. The Hawaiʻi County Council passed a resolution urging Mayor Mitch Roth to increase the capacity of and funding for the Hawaiʻi Fire Department.

Helicopters are battling a wildfire in a remote mountainous area of Central Oʻahu as flames burn native koa and ʻōhiʻa trees. No structures or homes were threatened and no evacuations were ordered.

Helicopters are still battling a wildfire in a remote mountainous area in Central Oʻahu. The Honolulu Fire Department says no structures or homes are threatened and no evacuations have been ordered.

Homes, roads, schools and bridges were wiped out by Cyclone Lola in parts of Vanuatu last week. It was the earliest Category 5 cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere. With the Pacific News Minute, HPR's Derrick Malama reports.

A first-of-its-kind hurricane shelter could be coming to Windward Oʻahu. A 5-acre plot in Hauʻula is the site of the proposed Koʻolauloa Resilience Community Hub. It would be able to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and provide critical resources — including shelter, food, water, medical services and internet — for up to 30 days during a disaster. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.