High winds are expected throughout the weekend
- By Leila Fujimori lfujimori@staradvertiser.com
-
Jan. 10, 2020
Mother Nature lashed out at the Hawaiian Islands on Thursday, and the weather might not calm down until next week.
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Mother Nature lashed out at the Hawaiian Islands on Thursday, and the weather might not calm down until next week.
The state was under a wind advisory, a flash flood watch, a high-surf warning, a gale warning and a small-craft advisory, and some of those could continue through the weekend.
And to top it off, Big Island summits are under a winter weather advisory through tonight, meaning Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa could be frosted with up to
4 inches of snow.
Robust tradewinds with gusts of up to 50 mph whipped across the islands Thursday, prompting a wind advisory to remain in effect until 6 a.m. today. The winds were accompanied by heavy rain at times.
A high-pressure system northeast of the islands brought northeast winds of 25 to 35 mph in areas of Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui and Hawaii island.
On Oahu, high winds prompted the closure of all the skyboxes Thursday afternoon during the Sony Open golf tournament at the Waialae Country Club.
Standard bearers were sent home because the score signs they carry “could have potentially turned into weapons,” a country club employee said.
Honolulu parks officials closed Foster and Liliuokalani botanical gardens Thursday morning to the public after wind downed several tree branches.
The city closed Moanalua Valley Neighborhood Park on Thursday afternoon after strong wind caused damage at the park and dangerous conditions existed, the city announced in an email.
Several large trees fell onto the basketball courts, damaging chain-link fencing.
At Kapiolani Park a tall
coconut tree was uprooted and fell onto a utility line.
Maunaloa Avenue in Kaimuki was blocked off due to a tree that fell onto electrical lines. A few trees fell along Pali Highway, also.
The National Weather Service warned the strongest winds will be through gaps and over and downslope of ridges, including the Koolau and Waianae ranges on Oahu. The winds also will buffet the Kohala Mountains and through Saddle Road and around South Point on the Big Island; and on Maui, the areas of Kahului southward through Maalaea Bay.
A high-surf warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. Saturday for the east shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and the Big Island. Elevated surf will continue through early next week, the Weather Service said.
Harbors and channels could be affected by breaking waves.
The high surf could cause ocean water to sweep across beaches and some low-lying roads with powerful breaking waves and strong longshore and rip currents. Wave run-up and coastal erosion on east shores should be expected due to the combination of surf, onshore wind, astronomical high tides and elevated sea levels.
A flash flood watch is in effect for Maui and Hawaii island through Saturday after-
noon. Windward areas are most susceptible to flooding.
A gale warning is in effect until 6 a.m. today with 25- to 35-knot east winds and 10- to 15-foot seas in the Kaiwi Channel.
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