Forecast: Wet and windy for Christmas Day

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A front advancing down the island chain will bring wet and windy conditions for Christmas Day into the evening.

The heaviest rainfall was clearing Kauai this morning. Oahu is expected to see more rainfall by afternoon and Maui County by evening.

The heaviest rain and strongest winds are expected for Kauai and Oahu.

Maui County will see less of an impact as a low pressure system associated with the front pulls away to the north.

The Big Island could get a few showers from residual moisture as the frontal boundary dissipates and more normal trade winds return.

A wind advisory also remains up for Niihau, Kauai and Oahu until 6 p.m. South to southeast peak wind gusts have been in the 45 to 55 mile per hour range at Nawiliwili and Lihue. Strongest winds will be in and around areas of heavy rain.

Because of the strong winds, a gale warning is posted for coastal waters around Kauai, with a small craft advisory for remaining Hawaiian waters. No major swells are expected over the next few days, although there will e a series of small background northwest swells.

Forecast models are hinting at a strong storm system in the north Pacific that could generate a warning-level swell for warning-level surf on north and west shores.