Swell Matrix

Area Forecast Discussion

National Weather Service Honolulu Hi

850 am hst Sun Sep 27 2026

Synopsis

Strong trades will diminish during the next 24 hours and turn southeasterly Monday night into Tuesday. A threat for more persistent rain will develop over Kauai mid-week as trailing moisture from Hurricane Nolo becomes established over the island.

Aviation

Gusty winds will continue today but should start to decrease later tonight into tomorrow as Hurricane Nolo moves further away. Showers will persist across windward parts of the Big Island today, but only isolated and brief MFVR conditions from lower ceilings and visability elsewhere.

AIRMET Sierra remains in effect for mountain obscuration, for windward areas of Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Big Island.

AIRMET Tango remains in effect for moderate to isolated severe turbulence downwind of island terrain due to the strong winds.

AIRMET Tango also remains in effect for sustained surface winds of 30 kt or greater across Maui and the Big Island.

Tropical SIGMET Oscar covers Hurricane Nolo.

Pending any questions back to you.

Marine

Issued at 448 AM HST Sun Sep 27 2026

Hurricane Nolo is now located around 250 nm southwest of the Big Island this morning. Despite its increasing distance from the islands, the pressure gradient between Nolo to the south and high pressure to the northeast will continue to drive strong to gale- force trade winds and a Gale Warning remains in effect for all of the Hawaiian coastal waters today. Winds will gradually diminish through the week, and the Gale Warning will likely be replaced with a Small Craft Advisory tonight for most waters, with gales still possible through the typically windier channels.

Southeast swell generated by Hurricane Nolo is beginning to decline for the Big Island, but continues to produce advisory level surf for east and southeast facing shores. This swell combined with gale force trade winds is also producing advisory level surf along east facing shores of Maui, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai that will begin to diminish for the eastern islands today but will likely take through tonight to fall below advisory criteria for Oahu and Kauai. The High Surf Advisory for those two islands has been extended accordingly. East shore surf will fade through early this week as Nolo continues westward and then northwestward and gains some distance from the islands. As it progresses on this track, surf along south and west facing shores will increase today and likely hold just shy of advisory criteria through Monday. A moderate, long period south- southwest swell will gradually fade through Tuesday.

A small, long-period northwest swell will continue to bring a small bump to north facing shores into early next week. A reinforcing pulse arriving today may lead to a peak in surf tonight before gradually fading. A series of small, medium-period east swells are expected from Hurricanes Odalys and Polo in the East Pacific later this week.

Watches, Warnings, Advisories

Wind Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island Interior-Big Island Southeast-Central Oahu-East Honolulu-Ewa Plain-Haleakala Summit-Honolulu Metro-Kahoolawe-Kauai East-Kauai Mountains-Kauai North-Kauai South-Kauai Southwest-Kipahulu- Koolau Leeward-Koolau Windward-Lanai South-Maui Central Valley North-Maui Windward West-Molokai Leeward South-Molokai North- Molokai West-Niihau-Oahu North Shore-Olomana-South Maui/Upcountry-Waianae Coast-Waianae Mountains.

High Surf Advisory until 6 AM HST Monday for Kauai East-Kauai South-Koolau Windward-Olomana.

High Wind Warning until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island North-Big Island South-Kohala-Lanai Leeward-Lanai Mauka-Lanai Windward-Maui Central Valley South-Maui Leeward West-Molokai Southeast-Molokai Windward-South Haleakala-Windward Haleakala.

High Surf Advisory until 6 PM HST this evening for Big Island East-Big Island North-Big Island Southeast-Kipahulu-Maui Windward West-Molokai Southeast-Molokai Windward-South Haleakala- Windward Haleakala.

Gale Warning until 6 PM HST this evening for Alenuihaha Channel- Big Island Leeward Waters-Big Island Southeast Waters-Big Island Windward Waters-Kaiwi Channel-Kauai Channel-Kauai Leeward Waters- Kauai Northwest Waters-Kauai Windward Waters-Maalaea Bay-Maui County Leeward Waters-Maui County Windward Waters-Oahu Leeward Waters-Oahu Windward Waters-Pailolo Channel.

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