Weather analyst: More rough winter weather to come for Maui, other isles

WAILUKU - The National Weather Service posted a brief flood advisory for Upcountry areas Wednesday afternoon.

And Glenn James, senior weather analyst at the Pacific Disaster Center, said the reports Wednesday of heavy rains, thunder and lightning Upcountry as well as rain in Kihei and in the West Maui Mountains are a preview of some rough winter weather coming today and Friday.

The culprit is a trough of low pressure north of the state with cold air at high altitudes interacting with low-level warm, moist air, James said. The combination leads to an unstable atmosphere ripe for heavy showers, towering cumulus clouds and thunderstorms.

James said he received a report of a brief, heavy downpour and lightning over Makawao.

The National Weather Service reported that its radar showed heavy rain near Pukalani and over Haleakala Highway at 2:25 p.m. Wednesday. At the time, the heavy rain was spreading slowly toward Kula. Other areas included in the flood advisory were Makawao, Haliimaile, Kula, Keokea and Haiku.

Assistant county spokeswoman Lois Bisquera said the county closed pools in Pukalani and Kihei on Wednesday afternoon because of lightning. There also was a power outage in Pukalani, she said.

A Maui Electric Co. dispatcher said crews responded to a power outage in Pukalani at 3:51 p.m., with power restored at 4:15 p.m. About 2,700 customers were affected by the outage, with some reporting hearing thunder and seeing lightning strike power poles near Pukalani Elementary School.

The weather one-two punch of low-level warm air and high-altitude cold air was expected to continue today, providing Maui residents with a "repeat performance" today of stormy weather conditions on Wednesday, James said.

Also beginning today and continuing into next week, residents can expect "very windy" conditions with strong trade winds and gusts of as much as 40 mph, he said. Surf is expected to be "very choppy and rough" on north- and east-facing shores.

On Oahu, a weak tornado touched down briefly at the Kapolei Golf Course where the twister ripped up some trees and went through the golf course, said course administrator Illona Ioli.

Emergency Medical Services spokesman Bryan Cheplic said a man identified as a golf course employee suffered injuries when he went out onto the course to warn people about the foul weather and was caught in a strong gust of wind.

Police said the Kapolei substation received a couple of reports of a funnel cloud in the area of the golf course.

* The Associated Press contributed to this report. Brian Perry can be reached at citydesk@mauinews.com.