Hurricane Nolo, a zig-zagging storm, threatens Hawaii with flooding rain

People on the Big Island of Hawaii are under a hurricane watch Friday morning, as Hurricane Nolo moves over the Pacific Ocean toward the Hawaiian archipelago. The alert means hurricane conditions are possible within 24 to 36 hours. By then, the storm will likely be a major hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

Climate El Niño is here, so what does it mean? Nolo isn't expected to make landfall this weekend, but it has two dangerous qualities: slow movement and heavy rain . Maximum rainfall amounts from the storm in some areas could reach nearly 3 feet, forecasters say, with totals of 15 to 30 inches expected more widely.

"This rainfall could produce catastrophic life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," the NHC said in its public advisory.