High Surf in Hawaii, July 2 to 3, 2009

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, July 2 to 3, 2009
Start: 2009-07-02T08:00
End: 2009-07-03T15:00
Location: Hawaii

July 2 to 3, 2009 · NWS HFO · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A deep low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 16

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 in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the south-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Jul 2, 3:30 AM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 3:30 AM HST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
330 AM HST THU JUL 2 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE BEGINNING FRIDAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE STRENGTHENS NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. HOWEVER...WINDS WILL
REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH TODAY. EXPECT CLOUDS AND SHOWERS TO FAVOR MAUKA
AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH CLEARING EXPECTED AT NIGHT.
CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS AS TRADE
WINDS RETURN.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THERE IS NO CHANGE IN FORECAST PHILOSOPHY FROM LAST EVENING. WE
REMAIN IN A CONVECTIVE PATTERN THIS MORNING. A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT
260 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI IS PREVENTING THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE
FROM DRIVING STRONGER TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE ISLANDS. SATELLITE
LOOPS SHOW EAST TO WEST FLOW IS OCCURRING...BUT OBSERVATIONS OVER
THE PAST 24 HOURS SHOW THAT SEA AND LAND BREEZES ARE STRONGER.
CLOUDS WILL BUILD UP ACROSS MAUKA AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...PERSISTING
INTO THE EVENING BEFORE CLEARING OVERNIGHT. OVERNIGHT SOUNDINGS SHOW
AN INVERSION NEAR 5000 FEET...WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF CONVECTIVE
ENERGY. THE HILO SOUNDING IS LESS STABLE THAN THE LIHUE SOUNDING
LIKELY DUE TO AN UPPER TROUGH TO THE EAST OF THE ISLANDS.
HOWEVER...SATELLITE LOOPS SHOW VERY LITTLE CLOUD COVER ACROSS
HAWAIIAN WATERS IN SPITE OF 1.6 INCHES OF PRECIPITABLE WATER
DERIVED FROM THE HILO SOUNDING. SHOWERS MAY OCCUR WITH THE INCREASE
IN CLOUD COVER ACROSS MAUKA AREAS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT TOTAL
RAINFALL WILL BE LIGHT.

MODELS SHOW A SURFACE HIGH FAR NORTH OF KAUAI WILL BUILD TO 1030MB
AS THE FRONT NORTHWEST OF KAUAI DISSIPATES ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL
ALLOW MODERATE TRADE WINDS TO BUILD BACK OVER THE MAIN HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS. THE TRADE WINDS WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT SEA AND
LAND BREEZES EXCEPT IN THE LEE OF THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS...IN AREAS
LIKE THE KONA DISTRICT OF THE BIG ISLAND. THE RETURNING TRADE WINDS
WILL BRING SHOWERS TO WINDWARD AREAS AND THESE SHOWERS WILL BE MOST
ACTIVE NIGHTS AND MORNINGS. THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN DRY AND
STABLE SO RAINFALL WILL REMAIN LIGHT...AT LEAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK. THE RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY STRENGTHEN NEXT WEEK AND TRADE WIND
SPEEDS WILL SLOWLY INCREASE. A TROUGH ALOFT IS FORECAST TO DEEPEN
NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE STRENGTHENING TRADE
WINDS AND INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH ALOFT MAY PRODUCE
MORE SHOWERY WEATHER BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.MARINE...
SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...AND WILL LIKELY REMAIN ABOVE THE ADVISORY LEVEL THROUGH
SATURDAY. THE BIGGEST SWELLS WILL BE COMING FROM THE SOUTH BUT THERE
WILL ALSO BE SMALLER AND SHORTER PERIOD SOUTHEAST SWELLS. WINDS WILL
REMAIN LIGHTER THAN NORMAL THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK BUT MAY
STRENGTHEN ENOUGH TO REQUIRE A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY BY MIDWEEK.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST SATURDAY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES
OF ALL ISLANDS.

&&

POWELL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, Kauai Windward

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, Oahu South Shore

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, Molokai Windward

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, Maui Leeward West

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, Maui Central Valley

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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, South Big Island

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 3:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: July 2, 8:00 AM HST to July 3, 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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, July 2009

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: 180124, 180125, 180126, 180127, 180128, 180129, 180130, 180131, 180132, 180133, 180134, 180135, 180136, 180137, 180138, 180139.