Hawaii is grappling with strong winds and torrential rain as category one Hurricane Lala lashes against its southern point.

With wind speeds as high as 80mph (130km/h), Lala gained hurricane strength on Saturday. It could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island and produce a 3ft storm surge.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Big Island, while Maui County, Oahu, Kauai and Niihau are under tropical storm warnings.

One person has died after a car accident, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green. "Please be very safe... you do not want to be out on the roads," he added.

The storm is expected to continue into Sunday morning before moving west.

In an update at 17:00 on Saturday local time (03:00 on Sunday GMT), the National Hurricane Center said Lala's eye wall was "brushing the southern portion of the Big Island".

"Damaging winds and heavy rain will persist across the Big Island throughout tonight and spread westwards across the smaller islands on Sunday," it said.

The storm is currently moving at nine miles per hour, with officials warning people to prepare for "life-threatening" conditions, such as floods.

The last time a hurricane made landfall on Hawaii's Big Island was 155 years ago, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Over the weekend, Lala will continue moving westwards, and may weaken into a tropical storm, with the centre passing just below Hawaii's other islands.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned residents to brace for "an incredible amount of water".

"Damaging winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and dangerous surf are possible across the state through the weekend," he posted on X.

Dozens of flights have been cancelled.

At Ellison Onizuka Kona International - Big Island's largest airport - 40% of flights were grounded, according to flightaware.com. Some 80% of flights were called off at its other main airport, Hilo International.