High Surf in Hawaii, May 2 to 4, 2007

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, May 2 to 4, 2007
Start: 2007-05-02T12:00
End: 2007-05-04T16:00
Location: Hawaii

May 2 to 4, 2007 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A deep low southeast of New Zealand generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of Niihau and Kauai. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 deep low southeast of New Zealand generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of Niihau and Kauai. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

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 2, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST WED MAY 2 2007

.SYNOPSIS...
BREEZY TRADES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY AND TRADE WIND WEATHER
WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR
NORTH PASSES EASTWARD. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND
MAUKA AREAS WITH ONLY LIGHT TOTAL RAINFALL EXPECTED. TRADE WINDS
WILL DECREASE FRIDAY AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
&&

.DISCUSSION...
NO BIG SURPRISES THIS MORNING. SURF IS STILL EXPECTED TO RISE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL BE CONCENTRATED ON THE
WINDWARD SLOPES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
ISSUED AT 400 AM
A 1026 MB HIGH NEAR 31N151W...DUE NORTH OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS...WILL MOVE EAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A MID LEVEL RIDGE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE HIGH WILL STRENGTHEN...KEEPING WINDS AT
OR NEAR ADVISORY LEVEL ACROSS HALEAKALA SUMMIT ON MAUI THROUGH
TODAY. THE SURFACE HIGH WILL ALSO STRENGTHEN...SLIGHTLY.
HOWEVER...MOST PLACES ON THE ISLANDS WILL SEE LITTLE OR NO WIND
INCREASE GIVEN THE COUNTERACTING EFFECTS OF THE SURFACE HIGH
STRENGTHENING BUT MOVING AWAY. CLOUD COVER OVER AND UPWIND OF THE
ISLANDS HAS INCREASED A BIT FROM LAST EVENING...BUT RADAR SHOWS ONLY
ISOLATED LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWER ACTIVITY MOSTLY ACROSS WINDWARD
HAWAIIAN WATERS. OVERNIGHT SOUNDINGS SHOW STRONG CAPPING INVERSIONS
WITH LITTLE ENERGY AVAILABLE FOR CONVECTION. RIDGING ALOFT WILL KEEP
THE ATMOSPHERE RELATIVELY STABLE AND TOTAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO
BE LIGHT. CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA
AREAS...MOSTLY AT NIGHT AND DURING THE MORNING HOURS.

AS THE HIGH MOVES AWAY...A WEAKNESS IN THE RIDGE WILL REPLACE IT TO
OUR NORTH. AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT SLACKENS...WE EXPECT TRADE WINDS
TO WEAKEN FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH SLIGHT VEERING TO THE
EAST SOUTHEAST ALSO EXPECTED AS THE PRESSURE FIELD REALIGNS DUE TO A
STALLED FRONT 500 TO 600 MILES WEST OF THE MAIN ISLANDS. NO MAJOR
RAIN MAKING WEATHER FEATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE ISLANDS AND
OUR TRADE WIND DISTRIBUTION OF CLOUDS AND SHOWERS SHOULD REMAIN
INTACT THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.MARINE...
AN EXPECTED SOUTH SWELL WILL PRODUCE ADVISORY LEVEL SURF ALONG SOUTH
FACING SHORES THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A NORTHWEST
SWELL IS ALSO EXPECTED...BUT RESULTING SURF WILL BE BELOW ADVISORY
LEVELS FOR NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE PAILOLO AND ALENUIHAHA
CHANNELS AS WELL AS THE WATERS NEAR SOUTH POINT ON THE BIG ISLAND
FOR WINDS. IN ADDITION...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR
THE KAIWI AND KAUAI CHANNELS FOR COMBINED SEAS. SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORIES WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR REMAINING COASTAL WATERS...EXCEPT
MAALAEA BAY...BEGINNING AT 6 AM THIS MORNING FOR COMBINED SEAS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WEDNESDAY FOR REMAINING WATERS EXCEPT
MAALAEA BAY.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS TIL 6 PM
HST THURSDAY.
&&

MBALLARD

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: May 2, 12:00 PM HST to May 4, 4:00 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, Kauai Windward

When: May 2, 12:00 PM HST to May 4, 4:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: May 2, 12:00 PM HST to May 4, 4:00 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)

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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, May 2007

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: 27022, 27023, 27024.