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COURTESY NOAA
This graphic shows Oahu covered by a flash flood warning in red. Kauai is under a flash flood watch in green.
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Lightning lit up the downtown Honolulu area around 5 a.m. today.
UPDATE: 7:20 a.m.
The flash flood warning for Oahu has been canceled.
Radar showed the heavy rain moving to the north and stream gauges showed water levels dropping, the NWS said.
Hawaiian Electric Co. crews were busy during the early morning hours responding to power outages likely related to the downpour and lightning.
Approximately 1,570 customers in Foster Village and Aliamanu suffered a power outage at about 5 a.m.. An hour later, about 1,000 customers in Kalihi were affected by the outage.
Crews have since restored power to all customers in Foster Village and Aliamanu.
Crews also restored power to customers in Kalihi and are continuing to respond to the remaining affected customers.
4:45 a.m.
Heavy rain over West Oahu and the metro area of Honolulu this morning prompted a flash flood warning through 7:30 a.m.
National Weather Service officials observed rainfall rates above 2 inches per hour on radar.
“Heavy rainfall will likely spread northward across most of Oahu within the next few hours and flash flooding may occur shortly afterward,” the NWS said in a bulletin.
“A flash flood warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring in streams, roads, and low lying areas. Move to higher ground now.”
A flash flood watch for Oahu and Kauai County has been extended through this afternoon.
“A deep convergence band will continue over the western portion of the state through this afternoon and will produce heavy showers and thunderstorms that could lead to flash flooding,” the NWS said.
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The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu through Friday morning.
The weather service said a deep convergence band will set up over the western part of the state tonight and “produce heavy showers and thunderstorms that could lead to flash flooding.”
The watch was issued shortly after 3 p.m.
Flash flooding is life-threatening and the public is urged to not cross fast-flowing water in a vehicle or on foot, the weather service said.
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