A cold front followed by a brief period of heavy rain Monday put Oahu under a flood advisory and caused a few minor problems, including sparking electrical lines.
"It was intense and fast-moving, so it didn’t appear to cause a lot of problems," said National Weather Service forecaster Chris Brenchley. "With a moist air mass and a cold front coming in, it juiced up the air mass and wrung it over Oahu."
At 10:30 a.m. heavy rain tracked across Oahu from the west at 15 mph and went offshore on the east side at 1 p.m., Brenchley said.
The cold front should bring temperatures down to the 60s in urban Honolulu and in the 50s in rural areas. Relatively drier conditions may cause temperatures to feel cooler.
The cold front will dissipate today across Maui County, and a cool northerly flow will move across the islands Wednesday and Thursday, the weather service said.
Honolulu Fire Capt. Terry Seelig said that from 11:25 to 11:39 a.m. Monday, three electrical lines sparked in different parts of Oahu — Aina Haina, Wahiawa and the Kapiolani area — because of the rain, but there was no damage.
A fourth incident took place at 2 p.m. in Ewa Beach when an old utility pole’s cross-piece tilted, causing power lines to touch and spark and the pole to burn, but no major damage occurred.
The department also responded to the collapse of 2-square-foot section of a rain-soaked ceiling in an older house in Nanakuli.
A high-surf advisory has been extended through 6 p.m. Wednesday for east-facing shores of Oahu, Niihau, Kauai, Molokai and Maui. The north shores of Oahu, Kauai, Molokai and Maui are also under an advisory until 6 p.m. Wednesday.
City Ocean Safety officials kept Hanauma Bay, popular with tourists, closed for a third day because of high surf and strong currents that led to extremely hazardous snorkeling conditions, especially for novices.
The last time the bay was closed for three to four days because of high waves was in 2011 after a large tsunami in Japan, and in 2010 during a similar high-surf episode, said Shayne Enright, spokeswoman for the city Emergency Services Department.
