High winds, hard rain forecast
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
The National Weather Service and O'ahu Civil Defense are warning residents to be prepared for 60-mph winds and heavy rains that could hit the state tomorrow and last through New Year's Eve.
Bring outdoor furniture indoors, secure loose objects. Cut down rotted or loose tree branches close to buildings. Monitor news stations for weather warnings. Source: O'ahu Civil Defense
While today is forecast to be mostly sunny, with isolated showers and light southeast winds, a new storm system is expected to arrive tomorrow night, with south winds of 15 to 20 mph with higher gusts.
Precautions
"The suspects are flooding and wind damage," said Roy Matsuda, a forecaster for the National Weather Service. "The wind damage will be at high elevations and on the Windward side closer to New Year's Eve."
Matsuda said the rainfall could be heavy and that flood watches and warnings could be posted later in the week.
A strong storm front is being supported by a deepening low pressure system, Matsuda said.
"Any time you have low pressure it is quite unstable and very moist," he said.
Matsuda said that there is a chance that the winds and rain will not be as severe as forecast, but he still urged residents to prepare for bad weather.
In January winds raked O'ahu with gusts that measured 85 mph and 60 mph on National Weather Service recording devices.
The winds snapped 19 utility poles along Kamehameha Highway just outside Wahiawa. Nearly 70,000 electricity customers on O'ahu lost power.
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
