Posted on: Friday, December 10, 2004
Gusty winds expected today
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Residents planning to put up outdoor Christmas decorations may want to wait until this weekend to do so because of strong and gusty winds that are expected to hit the Islands today.
The National Weather Service yesterday morning issued a high-wind advisory for Kaua'i and O'ahu and later expanded the advisory to the entire state. The winds from the north and northeast are expected to be in the 15- to 30-mph range with gusts to 40 mph today, said forecaster Raymond Tanabe.
The winds may be especially strong in leeward areas and valleys, Tanabe said.
"What happens is the winds get up and over the mountains and they start accelerating on the back side, which are the leeward sections," he said. "So the normally windy valleys, places up in the Pali, that kind of areas, where the winds get funneled, will see the strongest winds."
The weather service advised residents to take precautions against property damage and to hold off on Christmas decorations until the winds die down.
"The concern for us is there are many people who are starting to put up holiday decorations and they may have to watch out for those getting blown off and causing some trouble there. It's just something to watch out for," Tanabe said.
The gusty winds are expected to be short-lived, however, and begin to die down this afternoon, Tanabe said. By tomorrow, he said, residents should see the return of light trade winds and dry weather that should continue into next week.
There were no reports of serious damage yesterday, but the strong winds did prompt the city to close the Koko Head Botanical Gardens.
City spokeswoman Carol Costa added that most of the Hono-lulu City Lights displays, especially the 55-foot tree, are shielded by Honolulu Hale and survived strong winds that hit last weekend.
In addition to the winds, a high-surf advisory is in effect for north-facing shores through tomorrow night. Waves in the 13- to 15-foot range are forecast for today, but are expected to drop to 10 to 12 feet tomorrow.
Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.
