Big Isle thunderstorms bring hail, lightning and damage
Thunderstorms around Hawaii island today brought power outages, heavy rain, lightning strikes, hail, gusty winds, and wind damage, authorities said.
The thunderstorms moved onshore this afternoon, affecting primarily Kau, Puna, and South Hilo, and moved quickly across the island, the National Weather Service said.
The storms brought lots of lightning, wind, and rain, but by 3 p.m. moved east of the Big Island, decreasing the threat of strong thunderstorms, the Weather Service said.
About a quarter-inch of hail was reported in Keaau at 9:25 a.m., and wind damage was reported in Hilo and Hawaiian Beaches at about 2:30 p.m., the Weather Service said.
At about 4 p.m., police urged drivers to avoid Pohai Street between Ohuohu and Mikioi streets because of downed power lines caused by the weather. Police said several areas also had heavy ponding.
Big Island Civil Defense said there were numerous outages in Hilo and Puna from high winds and lightning strikes.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!