New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- US weather officials said Lala, previously a tropical storm, strengthened into a hurricane on Saturday morning (local time) as it approached the Big Island of Hawaii, where it is expected to bring heavy rainfall, flooding and mudslides, as well as dangerous surf and rip currents.

Lala's sustained winds reached 75 mph (120 km/h), making it a Category 1 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center said. Earlier, an observation site near South Point, at an elevation of 550 feet (167.6 metres), recorded sustained winds of 41 mph (66 km/h) and gusts of up to 64 mph (102 km/h), Reuters reported.

A tropical storm is classified as a hurricane once its maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph.

The National Hurricane Center issu...