Erosion makes beach unsafe, officials say

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is warning people to avoid a dangerous stretch of shoreline near Sunset Beach due to severe erosion and current high-surf conditions.

The affected area spans the westernmost side of Sunset Beach Park to the Rocky Point area, where severe property erosion is causing construction debris to enter the ocean.

"We observed wood debris, concrete, trees and boulders rolling in the surf and strewn out across the sand," DLNR Director William Aila Jr. said in a news release issued Friday. Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands Administrator Sam Lemmo added, "We want to let the public know to avoid the area because it is unsafe."

The warning comes as a large northwest swell is forecast to peak early Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service on Friday extended a high-surf advisory, set earlier in the week, for the north and west shores of Oahu, Molokai, Kauai and Niihau, and north shores of Maui and Hawaii island until 6 p.m. Monday.

Today, waves of 18 feet to 22 feet are expected on north shores. The swell is forecast to peak on Sunday, when a high-surf warning may be issued as waves rise to 25 feet to 30 feet. Surf has been at advisory levels since Christmas Eve.

Surf along west-facing shores will hit heights of 12 feet to 18 feet today, the weather service said.

The swell will produce hazardous surf and beach conditions through Monday.