High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Big Island North and East forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf in Hawaii, May 5 to 6, 2005
Several strong lows east of New Zealand in the southern hemisphere helped generate surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No significant property damage or injuries 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 15
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.
Several strong lows east of New Zealand in the southern hemisphere helped generate surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No significant property damage or injuries were reported.
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 5, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 5, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 400 AM HST THU MAY 5 2005 .SYNOPSIS... LIGHT TRADE WINDS WILL SLOWLY STRENGTHEN TODAY...ALTHOUGH KAUAI AND OAHU WILL STILL HAVE AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES. AFTERNOON CLOUDS OVER THE INTERIOR WILL BE COMMON...BUT LITTLE RAIN WILL FALL ACROSS THE STATE. MODERATE TRADES WILL BUILD TONIGHT AND FRIDAY AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .DISCUSSION... TRADE WINDS WILL SLOWLY STRENGTHEN OVER KAUAI AND OAHU THROUGH TONIGHT AND ARE ALREADY WELL ESTABLISHED OVER MAUI AND THE BIG ISLAND. THE RIDGE PRODUCING THE TRADES IS BEING ERODED BY A WEAK FRONT PASSING SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES NORTH OF KAUAI. AS A RESULT... WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT FOR KAUAI AND OAHU TODAY...AND LOCAL SEA BREEZES... WILL HAVE ONE LAST DAY. FOR MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND...LIGHT TRADE WINDS WILL RULE. THE RATHER DRY WEATHER WILL PERSIST AT LEAST THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. STABLE...MID LEVEL RIDGING IS TAKING HOLD OVER THE STATE...AND ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS HAVE BEEN RIDING OVER SELECT WINDWARD LOCALES ON THE WEAK TRADE WINDS. THE LARGE FIELD OF CLOUDS TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND IS COMPRISED OF MOSTLY STABLE STRATOCUMULUS WITH FEW SHOWERS. WEAK AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES WILL PROVIDE CLOUD COVER FOR INTERIOR KAUAI AND OAHU TODAY...THOUGH LESS THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS AND WITH LITTLE RAINFALL. BY TONIGHT THE ENTIRE STATE WILL EXPERIENCE A RELATIVELY DRY TRADE WIND WEATHER PATTERN. MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL BUILD ON FRIDAY AS A 1023 MB HIGH FORMS NORTH OF THE STATE ALONG 30N. ONCE ESTABLISHED...TRADE WINDS WILL STICK AROUND THROUGH AT LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE MID LEVEL RIDGE IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN LATER THIS WEEKEND...WHICH WILL ALLOW A FEW MORE TRADE SHOWERS TO DEVELOP...BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MINIMAL. LONG RANGE MODELS INDICATE THAT MODERATE TRADES AND RATHER STABLE CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH NEXT WEEK...WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ORGANIZED RAINFALL. && .MARINE... SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES WILL BE AT OR ABOVE ADVISORY LEVELS THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH THE SURF PEAKING TODAY AND DIMINISHING SLOWLY ON FRIDAY. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES ALL ISLANDS. && WROE
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
15 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kahoolawe
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM 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
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM 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
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Kohala
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kohala forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Kona
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM 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
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Lanai Makai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Leeward Haleakala
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Maui Central Valley
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Maui Leeward West
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM 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
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Niihau
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM 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 South Shore
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu South Shore forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, South Big Island
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- South Big Island forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Waianae Coast
- When
- May 5, 6:00 AM HST to May 6, 8:00 AM HST
- Where
- Waianae Coast 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
- Wildfire in Wisconsin, May 5 to 6, 2005
- Heavy Rain in California, May 5 to 6, 2005
- Tornado in Idaho, May 5, 2005
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, May 5, 2005
- Hail in Minnesota, May 5, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 5, 2005
- Hail in Florida, May 5, 2005
- Hail in Minnesota, May 5, 2005
- Damaging Winds in Utah, May 5, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 5, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 5, 2005
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, May 5, 2005
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, May 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: 5446098, 5446099, 5446100, 5446101, 5446160, 5446161, 5446162, 5446163, 5446164, 5446165, 5446166, 5446167, 5446168, 5446169, 5446170.