Hurricane Nolo is expected to bring heavy rain as it circles the Big Island of Hawaii.

NAALEHU, Hawaii — Hurricane Nolo is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane in the Pacific Ocean over the weekend, triggering intense rain, the possibility of life-threatening flash flooding and dangerous surf for the Big Island of Hawaii.

Nolo was a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph when its outer rainbands began hitting Big Island Friday evening, the National Hurricane Center said. Hurricane conditions are possible on the island next Saturday, especially in areas with steep terrain, the weather service warned.

The storm was about 145 miles south of South Point, the southernmost point of the Big Island, around 5 p.m. local time, and moving north-northeast at 3 mph.

This is the third hurricane in less than two months to pass Hawaii (after Lala and Lowell). The active hurricane season in the Pacific is likely due to a record El Niño – a natural climate pattern characterized by increasing sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific and generating more intense and frequent cyclones there.

Tess Kala, a South Point resident who grew up in the area, said the back-to-back storms were a shock to residents.

“Honestly, this is the first time that, what happened? We had a lot of family and friends who have lived here their whole lives through generations who have never experienced this before,” she said.

On its current track, Nolo will slowly move north Friday evening, but will remain south of the Big Island through Saturday. Then it will turn west and move away from the island but increase its speed from Saturday to Sunday, the hurricane center said.

Central Nolo will remain well south of the main Hawaiian Islands, the National Hurricane Center said. But it is expected to strengthen into a “major hurricane” – meaning Category 3 or higher – this weekend and could further intensify next week, the agency said: