Special Marine Warning Issued for Maui County Waters and Surrounding Channels
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The National Weather Service has issued a Special Marine Warning for several Hawaii channels and coastal waters through 9:00 AM HST due to severe thunderstorms and potential waterspouts.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Special Marine Warning
- Affected area
- Hawaii Coastal Waters
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Honolulu
Marine notices apply to named waters or shoreline zones. They may not describe conditions on land, even when the nearest place name is the same.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Hawaii Coastal Waters.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Honolulu has issued a Special Marine Warning for several maritime regions in Hawaii. The alert was issued at 7:05 AM HST on March 11 and is effective immediately.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following geographic regions:
- Kaiwi Channel
- Maui County Leeward Waters
- Maalaea Bay
- Pailolo Channel
- Alenuihaha Channel
Specific locations impacted include FAD Buoy HS, FAD Buoy MC, Manele Harbor, FAD Buoy LA, Kaumalapau Harbor, Molokini, FAD Buoy JJ, and Shipwreck Beach.
Expected Conditions
At 7:02 AM HST, radar indicated severe thunderstorms capable of producing waterspouts. These storms were located along a line extending from near Hoolehua to 10 nautical miles south of FAD Buoy MC, moving northeast at 10 knots.
Hazards include:
- Waterspouts: Capable of easily overturning boats and creating locally hazardous seas.
- Wind: Gusts of 34 knots or greater.
- Seas: Suddenly higher waves and steep, fast-building sea conditions.
- Visibility: Blinding downpours are expected within the storm line.
What You Should Do
Mariners and residents in the affected areas should take immediate precautions:
- Prepare for gusty winds and rapidly deteriorating sea conditions.
- Stay low or go below deck to avoid hazards.
- Ensure all persons on board are wearing life jackets.
- Small craft should seek safe harbor as they could be damaged by sudden high winds and waves.
Timeline
The Special Marine Warning is currently in effect and is scheduled to expire at 9:00 AM HST on March 11, 2026.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.