Lala roars back to hurricane strength, putting marine wildlife and historic monument in its path

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Lala restrengthens to hurricane status as two other areas to watch churn in the Pacific

The FOX Forecast Center continues monitoring the Pacific as Lala has restrengthened back to a hurricane while moving away from the Hawaiian Islands. Meanwhile, two other areas are being watched off the coast of Mexico, with one distant disturbance potentially putting Hawaii back on watch. Full outlook:

THE TAKEAWAY

• Lala strengthens into a Category 2 hurricane, but there is no threat to land.
• Hurricane Lala is threatening a marine wildlife sanctuary and the historic monument of the Battle of Midway.
• The sanctuary encompasses over 582,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean waters in Hawaii.

HAWAII – Just days after Hurricane Lala slammed the Hawaiian Islands, the storm is making a comeback as the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has issued additional storm alerts on Tuesday, with a national monument at risk.

The storm is moving west of the Hawaiian Islands, where atmospheric conditions are helping the storm move over warmer waters.

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As a result, the NHC has announced that Lala has strengthened into a hurricane as it moves westward, targeting the iconic Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The NHC has issued a Hurricane Watch stretching from Lisianski Island to Maro Reef.

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Currently, Category 2 Hurricane Lala has winds of up to 105 mph, with possible further strengthening as the storm is expected to remain a hurricane for the next several days.

The hurricane poses no threat to land, as it will occur over open water. Still, it poses a notable risk to the marine wildlife inhabiting the sanctuary, one of the world's largest marine conservation areas, along with housing the Battle of Midway National Monument.

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The sanctuary encompasses over 582,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean waters in Hawaii, protecting nationally significant natural, cultural and historical resources and providing opportunities to conduct research in various fields.

Hawaiian monk seal swimming amidst the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

(James Watt/NOAA)

Within the vast protected waters of the Pacific is also the historic Battle of Midway Monument, a time in history that all Americans and perhaps the entire world should learn to appreciate, as it served as a major turning point in World War II.

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Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway took place six months following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, where the U.S. Navy achieved victory in a wild air and sea battle on June 3 to 6, 1942, as allies successfully defended the major base located on Midway Island.

Midway Island is a key location for controlling the Pacific, as it sits almost directly between the U.S. and Japan.

The battle began with the Japanese launching a diversionary attack on the Aleutian Islands.

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American dive-bombers attacking a Japanese ship during the Battle of Midway.

(National Archives and Records Administration)

In response, a group of B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers flew from Midway to attack what they thought was the main fleet of the Empire of Japan, which was actually strategically stationed 600 miles to the west.

This unsuccessful attack marked the first military engagement in the Battle of Midway, according to History.com.

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Japan's plan to seize control of Midway involved a three-part approach: an air attack launched from four aircraft carriers, followed by an invasion force of ships and soldiers on the island, and finally an all-out joint strike with additional reinforcements from the main fleet.

Japan: Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier Akagi off Osaka, 15 October 1934. On deck are Mitsubishi B1M and B2M bombers.

(History/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)

Following another unsuccessful attack, Japanese forces launched phase one of their planned attack the next day, sending 108 warplanes from four aircraft carriers to the U.S. base on Midway, leaving it heavily damaged but still functional.

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This became a chess match between military strategists on both sides: U.S. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and Imperial Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.

After unsuccessful attacks, a surprise wave of U.S. carrier-launched aircraft bombers struck and hit three Japanese carriers, setting them ablaze.

In response, the Japanese tried to use their last aircraft carrier, Hiryu, to launch two waves of attacks against the USS Yorktown, located east of Midway.

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USA/Japan: TBD-1 torpedo bombers on the deck of USS Enterprise before launching an attack against four Japanese carriers in the Battle of Midway, 4 June, 1942. The squadron lost ten of fourteen aircraft during the attack.

(History/Universal Images Group  / Getty Images)

This proved unsuccessful as U.S. dive bomber aircraft arrived from all three stationed carriers, destroying the last vessel of the Japanese fleet.

Despite the major combat of Midway ending by the evening of June 4, U.S. troops on land and sea continued their attacks over the next two days.

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On June 6, Japanese forces retreated, ending the Battle of Midway.

United States Navy carrier based Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless single engine scout plane dive bombers flying in formation over the Pacific during the Battle of Midway campaign circa June 1942 in the Hawaiian Islands archipelago of the North Pacific Ocean.

(Keystone/Hulton Archive / Getty Images)

In the end, Japan lost as many as 3,000 men, 300 aircraft, one heavy cruiser and four aircraft carriers, while the U.S. lost two aircraft carriers (Yorktown and Hammann), 145 aircraft and around 360 servicemen.

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As a result, Japan ended its dream of securing strategic control of the Pacific and remained on the defensive for the rest of the war. At the same time, the U.S. reestablished itself as the world's dominant naval power.