National Weather Service lead forecaster Jeff Powell said the storm front is expected to arrive late Saturday and last through Monday. Storms of this nature are common at this time of year, Powell said.

Wind gusts exceeding 50 mph were reported in some areas, said Roy Matsuda of the National Weather Service. The strongest gusts were reported at the summits of Haleakala on Maui, and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island.

Hawaii Electric Light Co. reported today that about 12,000 customers on the Big Island were without power at times yesterday because of the strong winds. Most of the problems occurred in lower Puna, Waiakea Uka in Hilo, from Pa'auilo to ahualoa along the Hamakua Coast, and along Ali'i Drive in Kailua, Kona.

Five-hundred customers in the Hamakua area were still without power at mid-morning today.

On O'ahu, gusts may have caused a brief power failure by blowing debris into over head lines in Iwilei, said Fred Kobashikawa, a spokesman for Hawaiian Electric Co. Power to 50 customers was out from 7:22 to 8:19 a.m., but crews found nothing wrong with the lines, he said.

At 9:49 a.m., 1,600 cus tomers lost power in Kane 'ohe. About 10 a.m., 3,300 customers lost power from 'Aina Haina to Kahala Avenue. Another 2,500 customers lost power in Mili lani Mauka.

A downed line on Kalani iki Street in Hawai'i Kai left 20 customers without power from 1:17 to 7:30 p.m., Koba shikawa said. The power failure affected Kahala Mall, the Kahala Mandarin Ori ental hotel, and Waialae Country Club, where the Sony Open pro-am was being held.

Although power was restored in all areas, Koba-shikawa said backup lines in mountainous areas were out of service and repair crews were unable to fly in because of the blustery conditions.