Hawaii, 2001

High Wind in Hawaii, August 31, 2001

August 31, 2001 · NWS HFO · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Strong high pressure to the north of the state produced sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 51 mph, across the island chain. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.

Strong high pressure to the north of the state produced sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 51 mph, across the island chain. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 8:30 AM HST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 8:30 AM HST, 30 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 AM HST FRI AUG 31 2001

...UPDATED FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS...

SUMMARY...THE TRADE WINDS HAVE INCREASED FROM YESTERDAY AND WILL
CONTINUE AT 15 TO 25 MPH THROUGH SATURDAY THEN DIMINISH SATURDAY
NIGHT AND SUNDAY. EXPECT GENERALLY DRY WEATHER...CONSIDERABLE
SUNSHINE...AND ONLY A FEW WINDWARD AND MAUKA SHOWERS THROUGH THE
LABOR DAY WEEKEND.

DISCUSSION...THE NORTH PACIFIC SUBTROPICAL HIGH IS FARTHER SOUTH
THAN USUAL...AND AT 1025 MB WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING EASTWARD ALONG
32N OR SO TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST...TRADES ARE UP A BIT FROM
YESTERDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES HAVE THUS BEEN POSTED FOR ALL
HAWAIIAN WATERS EFFECTIVE AT 830 AM HST. MODELS KEEP THE HIGH NEAR
170W FOR A FEW DAYS THEN WEAKEN IT ABOUT SUNDAY AND FURTHER ON
MONDAY. WITH THE RIDGE NORTH OF THE STATE...TRADES WILL BE CONTINUE
AT SMALL CRAFT LEVELS THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY...DIMINISHING BELOW
SMALL CRAFT LEVELS BY MONDAY. CLOUDS MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS IN THE
TRADE FLOW ARE QUITE SHALLOW...WITH THE TRADE INVERSION BASE JUST
ABOVE 5000 FEET AT LIHUE AND 6000 FEET AT HILO. THUS VERY FEW AND
VERY LIGHT SHOWERS WILL LIKELY AFFECT ONLY THE WINDWARD SLOPES AND
MAUKA RIDGES OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS. LEE SECTIONS MAY SEE A FEW
CLOUDY PERIODS...MAINLY NIGHTS AND MORNINGS...BUT GENERALLY DRY
WEATHER WITH SUNNY AFTERNOONS. FARRELL

.PHFO......WARNINGS.....NONE
.          WATCHES......NONE
.          ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT ALENUIHAHA AT 6 AM...ALL HAWAIIAN
.                       WATERS AT 830 AM HST.

********************************************************************
FOR FIRE FIGHTING PURPOSES ONLY...THE FOLLOWING WINDS ARE BASED ON
THE MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST MODEL. ALLOWANCES ARE NOT MADE FOR DIURNAL
AND TERRAIN VARIATIONS BUT WINDS TEND TO BE STRONGER AND MORE
TURBULENT DURING THE DAY AND OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS. TO READ BELOW
09015 IS A WIND FROM 090 DEGREES OR FROM THE EAST AT 15 KNOTS.

DATE   DAY  ALL ISLANDS

AUG 31 FRI     08025
SEP  1 SAT     08025
     2 SUN     08020
     3 MON     08015
     4 TUE     08015
     5 WED     09015
     6 THU     09015
     7 FRI     09015
     8 SAT     09015
     9 SUN     08015

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kauai

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Kauai forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lanai

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Lanai forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Maui

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Molokai

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, North and East Hawaii

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Oahu

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, South Hawaii

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, West Hawaii

When
August 31, 9:00 AM HST to 8:30 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, August 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5263524, 5263525, 5263526, 5263527, 5263528, 5263529, 5263530, 5263531.