Drought in Hawaii, October 1 to 31, 2012

Name: Drought in Hawaii, October 1 to 31, 2012
Start: 2012-10-01T00:00
End: 2012-10-31T23:59
Location: Hawaii

October 1 to 31, 2012 · NWS HFO · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

Dry weather persisted over portions of the Hawaiian Islands. Water restrictions, both mandatory and voluntary, continued in place.

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: 12

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.

Dry weather persisted over portions of the Hawaiian Islands. Water restrictions, both mandatory and voluntary, continued in place.

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 Sep 30, 8:30 PM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 8:30 PM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST SUN SEP 30 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
LIGHT SOUTHEAST FLOW OVER AND NEAR THE ISLANDS WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. WINDS SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND ARE FROM A
MORE TRADE WIND DIRECTION. THE BEST CHANGE FOR RAIN WILL REMAIN OVER
THE MAUKA AREAS...AND OVER INTERIOR SECTIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON
AREAS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE SOUTHEAST FLOW HAS REACHED SOUTH TO THE BIG ISLAND THIS
EVENING...WITH TRADE WIND FLOW NOTED SOUTH OF THE BIG ISLAND. WINDS
OVER THE SMALLER ISLANDS IS GENERALLY FROM THE SOUTHEAST...WITH
WINDS SOUTH OF KAUAI FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION.

THE WINDS WERE EXPECTED TO BE WEAK ENOUGH FOR SOME LOCAL LAND
BREEZES THAT WOULD ALLOW THE SMALLER ISLANDS TO CLEAR OUT OVERNIGHT.
HOWEVER...ENOUGH OF A SOUTHEAST FLOW REMAINS...ALLOWING FOR CLOUDS
AND SHOWERS TO BE FOUND OVER THE EAST COAST OF OAHU. THE HEAVIEST
SHOWERS CONTINUE TO BE FOUND OFFSHORE...BUT AT TIMES HAVE MOVED OVER
THE EASTERN COAST OF OAHU. RADAR HAS ALSO SHOW ISOLATED POCKETS OF
RAIN OVER THE WAIANAE RANGE ON OAHU...AND OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION
OF THE KAU DISTRICT ON THE BIG ISLAND.

HAVE TWEAKED THE POPS/WX/SKY/WINDS FOR TONIGHT TO BETTER REFLECT THE
CURRENT SITUATION. SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHT...SUSPECT CLOUDS WILL
REMAIN OVER MOST OF THE ISLANDS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. WILL BE DOING
MORE TWEAKS TO THE GRIDS OVERNIGHT FOR THE LATER PERIODS.

SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE ISLANDS INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE
WEEK AS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE REMAINS OVER THE ISLANDS. THE SECOND
HALF OF THE WEEK IS NOT AS CLEAR AS EARLIER MODEL RUNS. THE FRONT
CURRENTLY TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS IS STILL EXPECTED TO LIFT
NORTH AS WE HEAD INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...HOWEVER A NEW FRONT
MOVING EAST ALONG 30N WILL PREVENT THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE FROM
LIFTING TO FAR NORTHWARD. AS A RESULT...WE WILL LIKELY SEE SOME
TRADES TRY TO BUILD BACK IN...BUT EXPECT WINDS TO REMAIN LIGHT
DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK...AND A RETURN TO SOUTHEAST FLOW
FOR THE WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...

AN ELEVATED SURF WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES OF
THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS UNTIL MID WEEK...BUT VALUES ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO REACH ADVISORY LEVELS.

THE CURRENT NORTH-NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SUBSIDE
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...THEN A NEW REINFORCING MODERATE NORTHWEST
SWELL WILL ARRIVE MONDAY AFTERNOON...AFFECTING MOSTLY NORTH AND
WEST FACING SHORES OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY.

&&

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

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Kauai Windward

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Kauai Leeward

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kauai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Molokai Leeward

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Lanai Makai

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Lanai Mauka

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Lanai Mauka forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maui Leeward West

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Maui Central Valley

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Leeward Haleakala

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Kona

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, South Big Island

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Drought, Kohala

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Big Island Interior

When: October 1, 12:00 AM HST to October 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where: Big Island Interior forecast zone
Reported by: Other Federal Agency
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Hawaii in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, October 2012

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: 411886, 411887, 411888, 411889, 411890, 411891, 411892, 411893, 411894, 411895, 411896, 411897.