Funnel Cloud in Hawaii, May 7, 2002

Name: Funnel Cloud in Hawaii, May 7, 2002
Start: 2002-05-07T17:00
End: 2002-05-07T17:15
Location: Hawaii

May 7, 2002 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A NOAA/NWS employee coming to work spotted a few funnel clouds south of Kalaeloa (Barbers Point). However, these weather phenomena dissipated before causing any problems for air traffic.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

A NOAA/NWS employee coming to work spotted a few funnel clouds south of Kalaeloa (Barbers Point). However, these weather phenomena dissipated before causing any problems for air traffic.

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 May 7, 4:02 PM HST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 4:02 PM HST, 58 minutes before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE INDEPENDENT
STATE OF SAMOA

TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...

DEBRIS CLOUDS AT THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS ARE DRIFTING OVER SAMOA
FROM CONVECTION SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST OF SAVAII. OTHERWISE...
SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS AND ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WILL RIDE IN ON THE
LIGHT TRADE WINDS THAT WILL PREVAIL THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  THE TRADES
WILL BE LIGHT ENOUGH TO ALLOW FOR LOCAL LAND AND SEA BREEZES.

WIND SPEEDS OF 1O KNOTS OR LESS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WILL INCREASE
TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE PASSING WELL SOUTH OF
SAMOA BUILDS NORTHWARD...INCREASING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE
ISLANDS.  AS THE HIGH BUILDS NORTHWARD IT WILL ALSO PUSH A
CONVERGENCE BAND OVER SAMOA WITH A RESULTING INCREASE CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS ON THURSDAY.

A LONG PERIOD SWELL FROM THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST WILL REMAIN AT 8 TO 10
FEET THROUGH WEDNESDAY THEN DECREASE VERY SLOWLY.

OUTLOOK FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

THE CONVERGENCE BAND WITH ITS ATTENDANT SHOWERS WILL REMAIN OVER THE
REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND SO THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY
WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS.  LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS
FRIDAY WILL GRADUALLY BECOME NORTHEASTERLY BY SUNDAY.

NARRATIVE DISCUSSION FOR TUVALU...

TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...TUVALU TIME...

A BAND OF BROKEN LAYERED CLOUDS LIES NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS
EXTREME SOUTHERN TUVALU.  ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN
THE BAND.  MOST OF TUVALU NORTHEAST OF THIS BAND IS UNDER MOSTLY
SUNNY SKIES.  THE BAND APPEARS TO BE CONTINUING TO SHIFT
SOUTHWESTWARD SO NURAKITA WILL BE UNDER FAIR SKIES BY THURSDAY
MORNING.  WINDS WILL REMAIN EASTERLY AT 5 TO 10 KNOTS THROUGH FRIDAY.

The radar

The Molokai radar (PHMO), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Honolulu

When: May 7, 5:00 PM HST to 5:15 PM HST
Where: Honolulu County, 5 mi SW of Ewa Beach
Reported by: NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, May 2002

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: 5288912.