Anticipated outage of some products and services due to a major software update this week

A significant software update at the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Honolulu (HFO) will take place from Tuesday April 22nd through Thursday April 24 2025 that will result in an extended outage of the operational forecast system. The majority of analysis and forecast products, including all watches, warnings, and advisories, will be provided by designated service backup offices. However, there will still be a variety of impacts and outages. HFO plans to resume normal forecast operations by the evening of Thursday April 24th.

Known impacts include:

1) All NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) transmitters in Hawaii will be unavailable. The transmitters affected are:

WZ2557 Lihue on 162.450 Mhz
WWG74 Kokee on 162.400 MHz
KBA99 Mt Kaala on 162.550
WWF39 Hawaii Kai on 162.450 MHz
WWG75 Haleakala on 162.400 MHz
WWG27 South Point on 162.550 MHz
WWG76 Kulani Cone on 162.550 MHz
WZ2540 North Kohala on 162.500 MHz

Please note that NWR is the only method for the National Weather Service to activate the Emergency Alert System (EAS) for weather-related watches and warnings. If there is a weather-related warning issued while NWR is down, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency will activate EAS using the Civil Emergency Message event code. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) that are sent to cell phones will not be affected and will continue to operate as normal.

2) Text products likely to be impacted include the Hourly One-Hourly Rainfall Summary (RR5HFO), the Hawaii Rainfall Summary (RRAHFO), the Weather Roundup for Hawaii (RWRHI), Surf Reports (OMRHFO), the Daily Climate Reports (e.g., CLIHNL), and Monthly Summaries (e.g., CF6HNL).

3) Many enhanced products on the HFO web site (weather.gov/hawaii) will not be available, such as embedded sections from the Area Forecast Discussion or island-based segments of the Statewide Surf Forecast. Instead, these products will be available in a plain text format (AFD and SRF).

4) Several graphical products on the HFO website and the marine weather fax will not be available, including 24, 48, and 72 hour surface forecast and wind/wave charts.

If you have any questions about this outage, please contact:

John Bravender
Warning Coordination Meteorologist
john.bravender@noaa.gov
808-973-5275