Hawaii braces for direct hit from Tropical Storm Lala

Storm expected to strengthen to hurricane as state of emergency declared amid danger of ‘life-threatening’ floods Tropical Storm Lala is set to hit Hawaii’s Big Island with hurricane force in a matter of hours, bringing dangerous winds, heavy rainfall and high surf in a sign of what a strengthening “super” El Niño in the Pacific may bring. The tropical storm is currently about 420 miles (675km) south-east of Hilo on the archipelago’s largest island, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric…