HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Your First Alert Weather Team has declared FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAYS by Saturday as a massive and powerful Kona storm moves over the state. We predict the second wave to be extra intense starting Thursday night time.
Here’s what to expect.
Current climate alerts
The following climate alerts are presently in impact:
Flood watch: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui County. A look ahead to Hawaii Island will go into impact Wednesday night time.
High wind watch: Kauai County, Oahu, decrease elevations of Maui County from Thursday night by late Saturday night time.
Learn more about current weather alerts here.
Hour-by-hour timeline
Here is the newest breakdown of the info from our First Alert Weather staff. We will probably be monitoring this storm all through the week so verify again for updates.
The newest information means that there will probably be two vital rounds of climate all through this storm system. The first spherical occurred late Tuesday night time and all through early Wednesday morning.
The second, and probably most impactful, a part of this storm will happen Friday into the weekend. The second spherical is presently forecast to convey flash flooding, damaging south winds, and strong-to-severe thunderstorms.
This second spherical of storms can also be presently forecast to drop extra rainfall than the primary. Some areas, particularly these within the mountains, may simply obtain above ten inches of rainfall.
Wednesday, March 11
Evening: Scattered downpours will proceed all through Wednesday night. A mixture of widespread instability and upper-level help may permit a few downpours to develop all through the night.
The flooding menace for Hawaii Island will enhance all through Wednesday, changing into extra regarding all through Thursday and Friday.
Night: Scattered pockets of rainfall will proceed all through the night time. The danger for flash flooding will lower barely all through Wednesday night time.
Thursday, March 12
Morning: Downpours and flash flooding are nonetheless attainable all through Thursday, however will probably be comparatively scattered.
Evening: Cloud cowl and a few lingering showers will probably be current throughout all the state through the afternoon. There could also be a slight window the place the rain and storms settle down throughout the state within the early afternoon.
Widespread instability will nonetheless be within the environment. Torrential rainfall and flash flooding are nonetheless attainable all through Thursday, however will probably be extra scattered in nature.
The southerly winds may even weaken barely, however may turn into sturdy in areas north of the mountains.
There can also be the potential for winter climate on the Big Island summits. Colder air wrapping into the storm system, mixed with rising moisture, may permit durations of heavy snowfall on the best elevations later within the week and into the weekend, probably main to vital snow accumulation.
Night: The second, most impactful, spherical of climate from the Kona low will start creating late Thursday night time over the western half of the state. Thunderstorms, damaging south winds, and flash flooding will begin to develop close to Kauai. This band of storms will slowly begin to march down the remainder of the island chain into early Friday morning.
Friday, March 13
Morning: With the second spherical being extra risky, the already saturated grounds from the primary spherical will probably be a large concern. Strong to extreme thunderstorms, damaging south winds, and flash flooding are forecast to influence Kauai all through Friday morning, probably extending into Friday afternoon. Following probably the most impactful climate, winds will shift to be extra southwesterly over Kauai.
Afternoon: The deep tropical moisture is forecast to influence Oahu beginning round noon and prolong by the afternoon. Strong to extreme thunderstorms, damaging south winds, and flash flooding will influence Oahu.
Night: The thunderstorms over Oahu will prolong into the late night and thru the night time. This slow-moving band of thunderstorms could lead on to massive quantities of rainfall dropping with out a lot time for drainage, rising the specter of flash flooding. Potentially damaging south winds will proceed.
Saturday, March 14
Morning: The deep plume of tropical moisture will march in direction of Molokai and Lanai early Saturday morning. The most impactful climate will attain Maui by early morning to noon on Saturday. Again, winds will shift to be extra southwesterly behind the road of thunderstorms for Oahu and Kauai. Lingering showers will probably be current for the western half of the state.
Afternoon: Thunderstorms will probably be current over the japanese half of the state all through Saturday afternoon. The preliminary band of thunderstorms may stall over japanese Maui Saturday afternoon and night.
Pop-up and extra scattered thunderstorms are anticipated for Hawaii Island. However, sturdy south winds are nonetheless anticipated all through Saturday for Hawaii Island. Current fashions trace at greater rainfall totals for the Kona aspect of Hawaii Island.
Night: The stalled band may stay between Maui and Hawaii Island all through the night time, exacerbating the flooding danger.
Sunday, March 15
The flooding menace will begin to lower for Kauai and Oahu all through Sunday. However, the bottom will probably be so saturated that any further rainfall could lead on to fast runoff and flash flooding.
Flash flooding and breezy southwest winds are nonetheless anticipated for Maui County and Hawaii Island on Sunday, probably extending into Monday for Hawaii Island.
Download the HNN Weather app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for the newest updates out of your First Alert Weather Team: chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins, meteorologist Drew Davis, and climate anchors Guy Hagi, Ben Gutierrez, and Billy V.
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