A disturbance aloft moved toward the islands and brought a bout of heavy showers and thunderstorms, especially over the western portion of the Aloha State. The system was also peripherally responsible for the development of funnel clouds over leeward Big Island at the end of the month.
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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.
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
A disturbance aloft moved toward the islands and brought a bout of heavy showers and thunderstorms, especially over the western portion of the Aloha State. The system was also peripherally responsible for the development of funnel clouds over leeward Big Island at the end of the month. However, no serious injuries were reported.
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 Mar 27, 4:07 PM HST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Honolulu HI 407 PM HST Fri Mar 27 2020 .SYNOPSIS... An approaching upper low will bring the potential for heavy rain and thunderstorms this weekend. Trade winds will focus rainfall windward and mauka, but may reach southern shores as winds veer east southeast over the western end of the state. An unsettled weather pattern may continue into the first half of next week as winds weaken and shift southeast. && .DISCUSSION... Water vapor imagery shows a digging upper level low centered 400 miles north northwest of Kauai this afternoon. At the surface, a 1034 mb high is centered around 1300 miles north of Kauai and is driving fresh trade winds across the state, though some veering in the winds to the east southeast is observed on satellite/radar in the cloud and shower motions. Incoming clouds and showers continue to funnel over the islands impacting most of the state this afternoon. The 00Z soundings at Hilo and Lihue show the inversion has been eroded away from the cooling aloft with precipitable water (PW) values jumping to 1.4 to 1.5 inches (above average). Thus, we have observed some occasional heavier showers and a few thunderstorms just outside of our coastal water area this afternoon. The upper low will approach the state tonight and induce a weak surface trough west of the state, which will veer winds slightly across Niihau, Kauai and Oahu, focusing showers across windward and southern shores. A Flash Flood Watch is now in effect for these three islands through Saturday night as plume showers could become anchored over these areas. Showers may also be heavy at times across Maui County and the Big Island this weekend, but easterly trades will focus these showers across windward and mauka areas. Leeward sides of the smaller islands will also see passing showers throughout the weekend. In addition, the unstable atmosphere will allow a slight chance for thunderstorms that will focus over the western half of the state tonight into Saturday, and the eastern half Saturday night into Sunday. Bulk shear values of 30 to 40 knots indicate that some thunderstorms may be organized/strong supporting gusty winds. The upper low will weaken to a trough Saturday night and Sunday as it moves east across the islands and settles northeast of the area. A front passing well north of the state will begin to weaken the surface high to the north and allowing trade winds to weaken and veer east southeast through the first half of next week. Upper level disturbances will set up northeast and northwest of the area and keep a somewhat unsettled weather patten in the forecast through the mid/long term. && .AVIATION... Easterly trade winds will become increasingly unstable tonight and Saturday as a compact, but intense, upper level low currently north of the state settles just west of Kauai. Enhanced moisture in the trade wind flow has produced wet conditions over windward Kauai and Oahu today, and as the atmosphere becomes more unstable tonight and Saturday, heavy showers and a threat of thunderstorms will likely necessitate keeping in place AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration. AIRMET Sierra was extended earlier in the day to cover windward terrain of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. Conditions on windward slopes of these islands are border line, but expect the marginal cloud cover and shower activity to persist through Saturday. AIRMET Tango remains in effect for moderate turbulence between FL220 and FL320 over Maui County and the Big Island. Upper level turbulence will move east slowly through Saturday, while some upper level turbulence may develop just west of Kauai late tonight. The afternoon soundings from Lihue and Hilo show that the inversion has been wiped out, and radar data show winds mainly 20 kt or less in the lower atmosphere. As a result, the AIRMET low level turbulence will be dropped. && .MARINE... High pressure north of the area will weaken slightly over the next few days, resulting in a gradual weakening of the trade winds. Trade winds should become moderate by Sunday with even lighter winds are forecast for the beginning of next week. A High Surf Advisory is posted for east facing shores through tonight. The extended period of strong trades near and upstream of the islands resulted in rough and choppy surf. As the trade winds begin to ease, surf should also fall below advisory levels this weekend. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is posted for all coastal waters except leeward waters near Oahu and Maui through tonight. By tomorrow, it looks like the winds and seas will ease enough where only the typically windier areas around Maui County and the Big Island will see SCA conditions. An upper level low will move towards the islands and bring a threat of locally heavy rain and possibly thunderstorms through this weekend. Unsettled weather may stick around into next week. A small west-northwest swell next week will likely result in a slight bump in surf along exposed north and west facing shores from Tuesday into mid-week. Several background south swells will maintain small surf along south facing shores through early next week. No other significant swells are expected through the first half of next week. && .HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through late Saturday night for Niihau, Kauai and Oahu. High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Saturday for east facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Big Island. Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM HST Saturday for Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Kauai Leeward Waters-Kauai Channel- Oahu Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Maui County Windward Waters- Maalaea Bay-Pailolo Channel-Alenuihaha Channel-Big Island Windward Waters-Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters. Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Oahu Leeward Waters-Maui County Leeward Waters. && DISCUSSION...Foster AVIATION...Wroe MARINE...Eaton
The Molokai radar (PHMO), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:50 UTC.
9 heavy rain, 1 flash flood, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
County officials reported heavy ponding on roadways in the Sunset and Pupukea areas on Oahu's North Shore.
Kuhio Highway was also closed near the Hanalei Bridge in northern Kauai as the Hanalei River overflowed its banks along the roadway. Later in the morning around 04:30 HST after heavy downpours, Kuhio Highway was closed in Wailua at the Wailua River in windward Kauai as debris piled up against the bridge crossing the waterway. Some homes and businesses in the area were also affected by flooding waters. There were no reports of significant injuries.
Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency forwarded reports from members of the public concerning several funnel clouds spotted in the Waikoloa Village area in leeward Big Island. No property damage or injuries were reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Hawaii in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2020
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: 875147, 875149, 875150, 875151, 875152, 875153, 875157, 875161, 875164, 875162, 875163.