Severe Weather Looms Over Hawaii as Thanksgiving Approaches, Forecast Shows Strong Damaging Winds, Scattered Showers

As Thanksgiving approaches, the NWS forecast indicates that Hawaii will experience severe weather, including damaging winds and sporadic showers which will affect all islands.

Due to the possibility of Thanksgiving Day being affected by strong northeast winds and a sizable north swell, the National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a Special Weather Statement on Tuesday.

Special Weather Statement

At 3:32 AM on Wednesday, the National Weather Service's Honolulu office released the Special Weather Statement.

On Wednesday night through Thanksgiving Day, a cold front is anticipated to move swiftly through the island chain, bringing sporadic showers for a short time. More importantly, after the front moves on, it's anticipated that strong northeast winds will start to form, which could lead to a period of extremely windy conditions.

The majority of the state's regions are expected to be affected by these winds, according to the forecast. Experts advise delaying hanging outdoor holiday decors because they might be damaged or carried away by the strong winds and moving any outdoor Thanksgiving events indoors.

Additionally, a potent low-pressure system passing to the north of the region will produce a sizable north swell that will begin to build on Wednesday night and possibly peak during extremely high tides on Thursday and Friday mornings. Along exposed north-facing shores, homeowners, beachgoers, and boaters should be prepared for the possibility of significant wave run-up, the NWS reports.

Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Alert

The peak of the swell is expected to cause Warning-level surf along north-facing shores and will occur simultaneously with the highest high tides of November during the early hours of Thursday and early Friday mornings, according to a discussion at 4 PM with the National Weather Service. From Thanksgiving through the weekend, the event may cause harbor surges in both Kahului and Hilo.

The Hawai'i County Civil Defense issued an alert message on Tuesday night, reiterating the NWS's statements and advising people to take this opportunity to secure their shoreline property from Upolu Point, North Kohala through Hamakua to Cape Kumukahi, Puna.

Beaches on Hawaii islands could close at any time, according to officials, Big Island Video News reports.

Honolulu Air Quality, Health, and Activities for Today

According to AccuWeather, Honolulu's air quality is rated as fair for today and into the following days, which means that most individuals will not have any problems.

Outlook is good for outdoor activities such as biking, cycling, running, golfing, fishing, and going to the beaches nad pools. The day is not ideal for stargazing as cloud cover is up to 38%.

Pests are on extremely high levels today and will be active because of the wet and hot climates. This includes mosquitos, outdoor pests, and indoor pests. Experts urge the public to wear long-sleeved apparel when outdoors in addition to using EPA-approved repellants.

Meanwhile, allergens such as dust and pollen are at low levels. Triggers to health conditions such as arthritis, migraine, asthma, sinus pressure, common cold, and flu are also at low levels. Most individuals would be able to go about the day without any problems.