Posted at 11:51 a.m., Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Nature's gifts: Rain, high surf
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| A man is about to get drenched by a passing car as he waits for a bus at Ala Moana Boulevard and South Street as heavy rains hit the area. Today's heavy showers were expected to taper off, but lighter rains are forecast through the holiday weekend.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser |
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer
The rain today, however, was expected to be the heaviest, said National Weather Service forecaster Jonathan Hoag. A cold front approaching Kaua'i created unstable conditions and brought the showers, which were heaviest this morning.
At the same time, a strong west-northwest swell continued to lash exposed shorelines with towering waves. The swell was expected to peak today and slowly decline tomorrow and Friday, the weather service said.
"The heavy showers affected a lot of O'ahu during the early morning and during the rush hour," Hoag said. "It really affected the H-1 Freeway with the amount they dumped."
The showers moved eastward by midday and were unusually heavy on Moloka'i, Hoag said.
"Don't expect that tomorrow," he said. "The worst is today."
The weather service briefly issued an urban and small-stream flood advisory this morning for O'ahu, Moloka'i and Lana'i.
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| Visitors marveled yesterday at the North Shore's big waves, which were "awesome," as one spectator put it, and treacherous, too. Lifeguards made three rescues at Waimea.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Ponding was reported on many roadways including Nimitz Highway and the freeway through Pearl City and downtown, snarling traffic.
| Surf forecast
The National Weather Service said the high surf should continue today with wave faces at 25 to 35 feet on the north shores, and 15 to 20 feet on the leeward shores of O'ahu and Kaua'i. The leeward shore of the Big Island should see waves of 12 to 18 feet. |
The weather service predicted wave faces of 25 to 35 feet on north- and west-facing shores of Kaua'i today. Wave faces on O'ahu's north-facing shores were expected to be 20 to 30 feet.
West-facing shores on O'ahu will see wave faces of 15 to 20 feet. Wave faces on west-facing shores on Lana'i, Maui and the Big Island will peak at 12 to 18 feet today before declining.
Lifeguards on O'ahu's North Shore estimated the waves were 10 to 20 feet when measured with the traditional Hawaiian-scale, which downplays by about one-third to one-half the wave size issued by the National Weather Service.
Waves frequently washed over the beach and up to the vegetation line, said Lt. Pat Kelly, a North Shore lifeguard.
"We are encouraging everyone to stay off the beaches," Kelly said. "If they go on the beach and then a wave goes up to the vegetation line, they can get knocked over and dragged into the ocean and drown."
Kelly recommended that beachgoers and tourists go Christmas shopping instead.
"To come down here where it is ugly and no one is surfing would be a poor choice," he said.
Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.
