High Surf in Hawaii, September 12 to 13, 2022

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, September 12 to 13, 2022
Start: 2022-09-12T06:00
End: 2022-09-13T02:00
Location: Hawaii

September 12 to 13, 2022 · NWS HFO · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

A swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south-facing 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; 19 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: 19

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 swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south-facing 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 Sep 12, 3:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 12, 3:25 AM HST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Honolulu HI
325 AM HST Mon Sep 12 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
Trade winds will remain gentle to moderate this week, delivering a
few showers to windward areas. Winds will be light enough to allow
afternoon sea breezes to bring some clouds and showers to leeward
areas as well. Shower coverage and intensity may increase from
Wednesday into Friday as moisture increases and the atmosphere
becomes unstable. Light to moderate east to southeast winds are
expected next weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Mid-level troughing NW of Kauai and a mid-level ridge extending over
the Big Island from the E will prevail for the next couple of days,
keeping modest instability over the W end of the islands chain. The
trough will move SE over the islands as the ridge weakens from
Wednesday through Friday, potentially leading to increased shower
coverage and intensity. Trade winds will be gentle to moderate as
weak low pressure systems far to the N will lie between the islands
and relatively weak high pressure cells. While daily land/sea
breezes can be expected over most leeward areas in this wind regime,
there remains some uncertainty as to the amount of cloud and shower
coverage the afternoon sea breeze circulation will generate the next
couple of days.

Satellite shows few to scattered showery clouds moving W around 15
mph near the islands, while broken mid- and high-level clouds moving
over Maui and the Big Island from the SW are gradually diminishing.
Radar loop shows scattered showers, with a few heavy rain cores
highlighting the modest atmospheric instability, also seen in the
12Z PHLI sounding. With the instabililty and very light winds over
land this morning, leeward PoPs have been nudged upward for this
afternoon. With surface pressure rises of 3-4 mb over the past 24
hours, the forecast expects the coverage and intensity of showers to
be less than that of the last 2-3 days.

An increase in low-level moisture is forecast to arrive on the trade
wind flow tonight and Tuesday, primarily affecting windward portions
of Maui and Big Island with some increase in shower coverage. Latest
guidance indicates this moisture will remain primarily limited to
the lowest 10-12 thousand feet as the mid-level ridge builds. This
modest moisture increase is currently seen between 150W and 153W,
lending some credence to the model guidance. This moisture will also
likely supply the other islands see a few windward showers.

From Wednesday into Friday, the mid-level trough NW of Kauai will
move slowly SE over the islands, while low-level moisture gradually
pools in the area as a low-level trough develops nearby. This
combination of moisture and instability will increase chances for
some locally heavy downpours, and potentially thunderstorms.
Afternoon leeward sea breezes could be the strongest forcing for
heavy shower development as trade winds weaken again, but some
windward downpours appear possible as well. Light to moderate E-SE
winds are projected for next weekend, with some decrease in shower
coverage and intensity.

&&

.AVIATION...
An upper level trough just west of Hawaii will keep the air mass
over the state moderately unstable. Weak trade wind flow in the
lower levels will allow local sea breezes to predominate by day and
land breezes at night.

As of 2 AM Monday, satellite and radar imagery indicated isolated to
scattered light showers dotted across the smaller islands and
windward Big Island. By late afternoon, showers will have increased
in intensity and become focused over island interiors. VFR
conditions will nevertheless prevail through at least early evening
except for isolated MVFR CIG or VIS in showers.

The next significant band of trade wind showers is not expected to
arrive until late this evening. Mountain obscuration could be an
issue for windward Big Island late tonight or Tuesday morning.

&&

.MARINE...
The north to south pressure gradient down upon the islands will
remain slack as surface high pressure does not establish itself to
the north of the state until next weekend. This will result in
several days of gentle to moderate trade winds with localized
coastal daily sea breezes and weak overnight land breezes taking
over.

A small, medium to long period south southwest swell will continue
to build in through the day. This swell, in tandem with the arrival
of a low, medium period southeast swell, has a High Surf Advisory in
effect through 6 AM HST Tuesday. A small, medium period easterly
swell from former Tropical Cyclone Kay will also move around the
chain through Tuesday. The combination of these three swells will
keep surf elevated along many southeast and east-facing shorelines
into the middle of the week.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Tuesday for south facing shores of
all islands.

&&

DISCUSSION...Birchard
AVIATION...Bedal
MARINE...Blood

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 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, Kauai Southwest

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai Southwest forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 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, Maui Leeward West

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 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, Kona

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 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, Kauai South

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Kauai South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, East Honolulu

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: East Honolulu forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Honolulu Metro

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Honolulu Metro forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Ewa Plain

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Ewa Plain forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Southeast

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Southeast forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Leeward South

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Leeward

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Lanai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai South

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Lanai South 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 South

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Maui/Upcountry

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: South Maui/Upcountry forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Haleakala

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: South Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Big Island South

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Big Island South forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Big Island Southeast

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 AM HST
Where: Big Island Southeast forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: September 12, 6:00 AM HST to September 13, 2:00 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, September 2022

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: 1051105, 1051106, 1051107, 1051108, 1051109, 1051110, 1051111, 1051112, 1051113, 1051114, 1051115, 1051117, 1051118, 1051119, 1051120, 1051121, 1051122, 1051123, 1051124.