Wet weather and high surf expected today

People planning outdoor Super Bowl parties today may need rain contingency plans.

Forecasters are expecting wet, voggy and gusty conditions after a cold front approached the state from the northwest Saturday.

"We wouldn’t expect totally dry conditions," National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Jacobson said. "But it doesn’t appear that there will be an all-day rain situation."

The front was expected to move over Kauai on Saturday and stall near Oahu and Maui today.

Another system developing near the state will bring heavier rain on Monday night through Tuesday with a chance of thunderstorms, according to the weather service.

Meanwhile, a high surf advisory is in effect through 4 p.m. Monday for the north and west shores of Oahu, Kauai, Niihau and Molokai, and the north shores of Maui. A northwest swell was expected to arrive overnight and build today. Surf of 18 to 24 feet was expected along north shores. West shores can expect 12- to 18-foot surf.

The surf will peak today and gradually diminish Monday.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Coral species is new to isles

KAILUA-KONA >> A state research team has discovered a coral species that’s new to the main Hawaiian Islands.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources said Wednesday that divers along the Kona Coast came across a large number of coral colonies they had never seen before.

It turned out to be the first record of the coral in the main Hawaiian Islands.

Senior biologist Bill Walsh led the dive team.

Birds found to tolerate malaria

HILO >> Research by U.S. Geological Survey scientists shows a species of Hawaiian honeycreeper has developed a tolerance for avian malaria.

The agency said Thursday its researchers found Hawaii amakihi birds who live at lower elevations are able to tolerate infections much better than birds from higher elevations. Their study was published in the journal EcoHealth.

Microbiologist Carter Atkinson and his colleagues captured birds from higher and lower elevations, put some in a control group and exposed others to malaria. Lower-elevation birds exposed to malaria lost less weight and had a lower mortality rate than birds from higher elevations.

Avian malaria has devastated many species of Hawaiian honeycreepers.

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Associated Press