Torrential rains pummeled Hawaii Friday as Hurricane Lane closed in on the island state, triggering land slides and "catastrophic flooding," US weather authorities said.

Currently located some 200 miles south of the state capital Honolulu, Hurricane Lane's center was forecast to track over or "dangerously close" to parts of the main Hawaiian islands later Friday into the night.

The archipelago's Big Island was meanwhile deluged with "catastrophic flooding," the NWS said. Over two feet of rain have already fallen at several locations on the windward side of the Big Island, the National Hurricane Center said, with 30 to 40 inches possible over some areas throughout the state.

Emergency teams have set up 16 evacuation centers, with a further 19 due to open later as President Donald Trump, who has declared a state of emergency, urged Hawaiians to hunker down and prepare for the worst.

"Our teams are closely coordinating with the state and local authorities. You are in our thoughts!" Trump tweeted.