Wind advisory extended again for portions of Big Island

A wind advisory for northern and southern portions of the Big Island was extended again.

National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu say the advisory is now set to expire at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 23. It was previously set to end at 6 a.m. Saturday.

Northern, southern and southeastern parts of the island, including areas of Puna, Kaʻū, North Kohala and South Kohala, can expect northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, to persist throughout the day.

Winds that strong can tear off shingles, knock down tree branches, blow away tents and awnings and make it difficult to steer, especially for drivers of high-profile vehicles.

Forecasters advise the public to:

• Watch out for falling tree branches when walking or driving.
• Make sure tents and awnings are secure or taken down.
• Be prepared for power outages.

Hawaiian Electric also continues to closely monitor the high winds and humidity levels in the Kawaihae and Waikōloa areas, which are both included in the wind advisory, as part of a public safety power shutoff watch because of their exposure to wildfire risk.

The company could implement public safety power shutoffs, if necessary, to proactively cut power in those communities with increased wildfire potential.

Customers in these areas are urged to initiate their own emergency plans and prepare for possible outages that could last several hours to days.

Determination to activate a public safety power shutoff can change at any time based on weather conditions.

Criteria for determining if a public safety power shutoff should be instituted are persistent drought conditions, wind gusts 45 mph and higher as well as a relative humidity less than 45%.

The electric utility analyzes data from weather stations and cameras near its infrastructure in areas at high risk of potential wildfire and fire spread.

Remember: wind gusts can be stronger at higher elevations than in residential areas.

Visit the Hawaiian Electric website or call Hawaiian Electric’s public safety power shutoff hotline toll-free at 1-844-483-8666 for additional information and maps of areas with high wildfire risk.

Any outages customers are experiencing now are not public safety power shutoffs.