Hawaii, 2003

Heavy Rain in Hawaii, July 26, 2003

July 26, 2003 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms near and over the Koolau Range on Oahu caused small stream and drainage ditch flooding, and ponding of roadways. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
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.

Heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms near and over the Koolau Range on Oahu caused small stream and drainage ditch flooding, and ponding of roadways. However, there were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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 Jul 26, 6:04 AM HST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 6:04 AM HST, 11 minutes before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR AMERICAN SAMOA AND THE INDEPENDENT
STATE OF SAMOA

TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT EDGED NORTH OF SAMOA EARLY FRIDAY
EVENING. ON SATELLITE IMAGERY THE SHEARLINE PORTION DOES NOT LOOK
IMPRESSIVE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ISOLATED CBS...THE HEAVY RAINS ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH WARM TOPS CLOUDS EXTENDING NO HIGHER THAN 15K FEET.
THE RAIN SHOULD BE EASING OFF IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

THE GFS KEEPS THE SHEARLINE BAND OVER SAMOA THROUGH SUNDAY THUS
MAINTAINING THAT THREAT OF SHOWERS. THE ASSOCIATED GALE LOW NEAR 33S
168W IS EXPECTED TO  MOVE SOUTHEAST 10 TO 15 KT DURING THE NEXT 36
HOURS. SINCE IT IS MOVING AT A PRETTY GOOD CLIP...IT DOESNT HAVE
THE TIME TO DEVELOP A FETCH AREA. THEREFORE NO SIGNIFICANT SWELL IS
EXPECTED.

AND SINCE THERE IS NO BROAD HIGH PRESSURE CELL FOLLOWING THE
LOW...THE SOUTHEAST TRADES WILL BE LIMITED TO 10 TO 20 MPH THROUGH
SUNDAY.

OUTLOOK FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
THE SHEARLINE WILL MOVE SOUTH OF SAMOA MONDAY IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER
EASTWARD MOVING COLD FRONT. THIS COLD FRONT SHOULD NOT VENTURE
NORTH OF 18S. THE WINDS WILL SLOWLY SHIFT TO A MORE EASTERLY
DIRECTION MONDAY WITH SPEED OF 10 TO 20 MPH. WITH THE SHEARLINE
SOUTH OF SAMOA...RELATIVELY DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL.

NARRATIVE DISCUSSION FOR TUVALU

TODAY THROUGH MONDAY...TUVALU TIME...
THE NEARLY STATIONARY SHEARLINE CUTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
EXTREMITIES OF YOUR TERRITORY...SOUTH OF FUNAFUTI. SATELLITE
PICTURES SHOWS JUST A COUPLE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AND A FEW
SHOWERS MARKING THE SHEARLINE. THE SHEARLINE ALSO DIVIDES THE
STRONGER TRADES OF 10 TO 20 KT TO THE SOUTH AND THE WEAKER AND
MORE EAST COMPONENT OF 5 TO 15 KT TO THE NORTH. THE DEGREE OF
WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHEARLINE IS NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE AND THE
GFS IS HINT JUST THAT.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Honolulu

When
July 26, 6:15 AM HST to 9:00 AM HST
Where
Honolulu County, Kahuku
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, July 2003

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: 5327703.