Hurricane Lane, now a Category 5 storm, is heading toward Hawaii

Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii — (Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/NOAA Satellite)

The National Weather Service announced Tuesday night that Hurricane Lane, an erratic storm currently about 500 miles southeast of Honolulu, had strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 160 miles per hour. Hawaii's Big Island is under a hurricane warning and most of the other Hawaiian islands are under hurricane watch. "On the forecast track, the center of Lane will move very close to or over the main Hawaiian Islands from Thursday through Saturday," potentially bringing devastating winds and life-threatening flash floods, the weather service said, but "it is much too early to confidently determine which, if any, of the main Hawaiian islands will be directly impacted by Lane."

Even if Hurricane Lane doesn't make landfall, its rain and wind could cause significant damage to Hawaii. Schools will be closed on the Big Island and in Maui County starting Wednesday, and Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) said all nonessential state employees on Maui and Hawaii islands can take administrative leave Wednesday through Friday. Hawaii hasn't seen a Category 5 hurricane since 1994, NWS says. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.