High Surf in Hawaii, June 15 to 17, 2005

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, June 15 to 17, 2005
Start: 2005-06-15T06:00
End: 2005-06-17T15:00
Location: Hawaii

June 15 to 17, 2005 · NWS HFO · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

A storm low in the southern hemisphere east of New Zealand caused surf of 4 to 8 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No significant injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 18

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.

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 Jun 15, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST WED JUN 15 2005

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL KEEP LOCALLY BREEZY TRADE WINDS
BLOWING OVER THE ISLANDS. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN STABLE...SO
RAINFALL WILL BE LIMITED. SOUTH SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL
IN...WITH SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES PEAKING THURSDAY EVENING
AND SUNDAY MORNING.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
WILL DISCUSS THE WINDS BECAUSE THERE IS NOT MUCH ELSE GOING ON ACROSS
THE STATE. WINDS REMAINED SOMEWHAT BREEZY OVERNIGHT AND THE USUAL
NIGHTTIME LULL REALLY DID NOT OCCUR. THE ONLY CLUE IS THE LOWERING
INVERSION. AIRCRAFT DATA FOR SEVERAL SITES AND THE MORNING SOUNDINGS
FROM HILO AND LIHUE PLACE THE BASE OF THE INVERSION BETWEEN 3000 AND
5000 FEET WITH A VERY DRY LAYER ABOVE THAT. WITH INVERSION SO LOW AND
STABLE...WINDS ARE COMPRESSED WITHIN A RELATIVELY SHALLOW LAYER.
NORMALLY...THE STRONGER WINDS LIE ABOVE THE SURFACE AND MIXING BRINGS
THESE WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE DURING THE DAYTIME BUT NOT AT NIGHT.
BUT WITH SO SHALLOW A LAYER...THE STRONGER WINDS ARE EFFECTIVELY BEING
PUSHED DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITHOUT MIXING.

STRONG AND LOW INVERSION SHOULD REALLY KEEP SHOWERS TO A MINIMUM
TODAY...THUS HAVE DECREASED THE PERCENT CHANCE OF PRECIP ACROSS THE
BOARD FOR THE FIRST TWO FORECAST PERIODS. NOTHING WORTH MENTIONING
RAINFALL WISE OVERNIGHT. MAY SEE A BIT MORE CLOUDINESS THAN USUAL OVER
LEE AREAS THIS MORNING...AS THE LOW INVERSION HAS ALLOWED AREAS OF
FAIRLY STABLE LOW CLOUDS TO DEVELOP AS WHATEVER MOISTURE IS AROUND IS
SQUEEZED UP AGAINST THE INVERSION. THESE CLOUDS WILL QUICKLY BURN OFF
AS THE MORNING PROGRESSES.

LITTLE TO NO CHANGES IN FORECAST AFTER FIRST TWO PERIODS. MODELS
REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT KEEPING HIGH PRESSURE IN SOME FORM NORTH OF
THE STATE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AND BEYOND. THIS MEANS CONTINUING
TRADES WITH OCCASIONAL THOUGH SLIGHT VARIATIONS FROM TIME TO TIME.

&&

.MARINE...
WINDS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL REMAIN NEAR 25 MPH SO SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORIES WILL REMAIN POSTED FOR THAT AREA. THE NEXT SOUTH SWELL
WILL ARRIVE LATE TODAY AND PEAK THURSDAY EVENING. ANOTHER SOUTH
SWELL WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY AND PEAK SUNDAY MORNING. THESE SWELLS
WILL PRODUCE SURF NEAR THE ADVISORY THRESHOLD OF 8 FEET.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WATERS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND.

&&

TANABE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kona

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Niihau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu South Shore

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Olomana

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Olomana forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Big Island

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Waianae Coast forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: June 15, 6:00 AM HST to June 17, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, June 2005

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: 5458077, 5458078, 5458079, 5458080, 5458081, 5458082, 5458083, 5458084, 5458085, 5458086, 5458087, 5458088, 5458089, 5458090, 5458091, 5458092, 5458093, 5458880.