High surf warning for all islands as 15-foot waves roll in

Photo gallery: South shore swell

The high surf advisory for south shores of all islands is now a high surf warning as a south swell is expected to peak today with wave faces as high as 15 feet.

The National Weather Service upgraded the surf advisory to a warning at 7:41 a.m. It is in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Wave faces are predicted to be 10- to 15-feet today. The warning is expected to become an advisory again Wednesday morning  after the swell peaks and starts to diminish below 15-feet.

Surf along west facing shores are expected to reach heights of 6 to 10 feet Tuesday, forecasters say. East shores should see 3- to 5-foot wave faces.

There’s even a small north swell with waves of 1- to 3-feet through Tuesday.

The new south swell reinforces a smaller swell that arrived Sunday.

Forecasters warn that the high surf will produce dangerous rip currents. Inexperienced surfers and swimmers are urged to stay out of the water and avoid the shore break.

Boaters are cautioned to be careful when entering harbors.

Localized coastal flooding is also possible along vulnerable beaches, especially during high tide this afternoon. Forecasters say Makaha could be affected. The high tide is expected to reach 2-feet this afternoon between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.