High Surf in Hawaii, July 7 to 8, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, July 7 to 8, 2004
Start: 2004-07-07T09:00
End: 2004-07-08T06:00
Location: Hawaii

July 7 to 8, 2004 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A swell produced surf of 5 to 10 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 swell produced surf of 5 to 10 feet along the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. 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 7, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 AM HST WED JUL 7 2004

.SYNOPSIS...TRADE WINDS WILL RETURN TODAY...AS WILL TRADE WIND
SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS. THE WIND WILL CHANGE
LITTLE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...BUT MOISTURE FROM AN OLD
TROPICAL DEPRESSION WILL ENHANCE SHOWERS FROM THURSDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...THERE IS LITTLE CHANGE TO PREVIOUS THINKING. A
LATE-SEASON FRONT LINGERED NORTHEAST OF FRENCH FRIGATE SHOALS...
KEEPING THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE SOUTH OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.
AS A RESULT...TRADE-WIND FLOW OVER THE ISLANDS WAS STILL WEAK...BUT
INCREASING AS THE HIGH BUILT AND MOVED NORTHEAST. FAR TO THE EAST...
MID-LEVEL MOISTURE REMNANTS FROM FORMER TROPICAL DEPRESSION TWO-E
WERE LOCATED NEAR 24N 145W. MODELS AGREE IN PUSHING THE RIDGE
FURTHER NORTH OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS...FURTHER RESTORING TRADE
WINDS...AND TRADE-WIND SHOWERS...TO THE ISLANDS. THE REMNANT
MOISTURE FROM TWO-E WILL MOVE WEST WITH THE PREVAILING FLOW...
ENHANCING TRADE-WIND SHOWERS FURTHER ONCE IT REACHES THE ISLANDS
LATE ON THURSDAY. THE ENHANCED SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL LINGER AT LEAST
INTO THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEKEND BEFORE TAPERING OFF GRADUALLY.
OTHERWISE...ONCE THEY START BACK UP IN EARNEST...TRADE WINDS WILL
PREVAIL THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

EFFECTIVE 800 AM HST...JULY 15...2004...AFDHI WILL BE ISSUED AS
AFDHFO. THE WMO HEADING FXHW60 PHFO WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, West Hawaii

When: July 7, 9:00 AM HST to July 8, 6:00 AM HST
Where: West Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5431478.