Hawaii, 2004

High Surf in Hawaii, July 16 to 17, 2004

July 16 to 17, 2004 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A storm low in the southern hemisphere caused surf of 5 to 10 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. One surfer in Waikiki on the island of Oahu was cut seriously enough by a surf board fin to be sent to the hospital.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 storm low in the southern hemisphere caused surf of 5 to 10 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. One surfer in Waikiki on the island of Oahu was cut seriously enough by a surf board fin to be sent to the hospital. There were no reports of serious 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 16, 8:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 8:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
825 AM HST FRI JUL 16 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL DECREASE SLIGHTLY LATE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY BUT
SHOULD OTHERWISE REMAIN IN THE MODERATE RANGE...THANKS TO HIGH
PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH. A WEAK UPPER LOW...COMBINED WITH THE SLIGHTLY
LIGHTER TRADES...MAY ENHANCE SHOWERS LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
BUOY OBSERVATIONS AND MORNING SURF REPORTS  INDICATE THAT THE SOUTH
SWELL WAS ARRIVING AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES...AND UPDATED PRODUCTS ARE
FORTHCOMING. REMAINDER OF PREVIOUS FORECAST UNCHANGED AND THE
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FROM 341 AM FOLLOWS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
A 1026 MB HIGH NORTH NORTHWEST OF KAUAI WILL MOVE
NORTH BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...KEEPING TRADE
WINDS GENERALLY IN THE 10 TO 20 MPH RANGE. THIS HIGH WILL THEN BEGIN
TO MOVE SOUTHEAST AND WEAKEN...CAUSING WINDS TO DECREASE SLIGHTLY
ACROSS THE WESTERN END OF THE MAIN ISLAND CHAIN LATE SUNDAY THROUGH
MONDAY. THE 06Z GFS SHOWS THE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN UP AGAIN
SUFFICIENTLY TO SUPPORT 10 TO 20 MPH TRADES STATEWIDE AGAIN TUESDAY
AND THEREAFTER THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. SURFACE TROUGHING ALONG
160W WILL DENT THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK...BUT THIS
WILL AFFECT THE WIND FIELD NORTH OF 30N AND NOT ACROSS HAWAIIAN
WATERS.

AN UPPER LOW EXPECTED TO FORM EAST OF THE ISLANDS BY SATURDAY
REMAINS A FEATURE IN MODEL RUNS. THIS LOW SHOULD MOVE NORTHWEST
QUICKLY...BRUSHING THE EASTERN ISLANDS MAINLY ON MONDAY. WHILE THE
FORECAST WILL CONTINUE TO TOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ENHANCED SHOWERS
LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY...ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS
MONDAY AFTERNOON ON THE LEEWARD SLOPES OF THE BIG
ISLAND...CONFIDENCE THAT THIS MAY OCCUR IS DECREASING. THE EXPECTED
UPPER LOW APPEARS TO BE QUITE WEAK AND LITTLE OR NO PRECIPITATION
ENHANCEMENT IS NOTED IN THE MODELS.

SO...EXPECT MODERATE TRADES AND TRADE WIND WEATHER THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON FOLLOWED BY BRIEF PERIOD OF A BIT MORE UNSTABLE WEATHER
WITH ENHANCED SHOWERS ACROSS THE EASTERN ISLANDS. EXPECT MODERATE
TRADES AND DRIER WEATHER TO RESUME BY MIDWEEK NEXT WEEK.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS.

&&

R BALLARD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
Lanai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu

When
July 16, 11:00 AM HST to July 17, 12:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

What these are

High Surf
Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, July 2004

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: 5431575, 5431576, 5431577, 5431578, 5431579, 5431580.