Glenn James
Hawaii Weather Today
Creator, Author, and Administrator for 30 years

 

The latest update to this website was Tuesday afternoon at 505pm HST


Here are the latest 24-hour precipitation totals (inches) for each of the islands Tuesday evening:

2.32  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.25  Kahana, Oahu
0.03  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.21  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.65  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Tuesday evening:

20  Lawai, Kauai – ESE
31  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
32  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
27  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
45  Na Kula, Maui – ESE
30  Pali 2, Big Island – NNE


Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcam on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Here’s the webcam for the (~10,023 feet high) Haleakala Crater on Maui. These webcams are available during the daylight hours here in the islands, and at night whenever there’s a big moon shining down. Also, at night you will be able to see the stars, and the sunrise and sunset too…depending upon weather conditions.

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES18-TPW-13-900x540.gif

Cold front far northwest 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20261391810-20261400200-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Variably cloudy, mostly low clouds in the general vicinity

 

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/HAWAII_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

Localized showers…heaviest on the Big Island

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

Please open this link to see details on the current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Tuesday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

It’s mostly clear with low clouds around locally here in Maui County, with calm winds at my place, with a low of 53.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 85%

While I was out on my second walk of the day, I happened across a small Jackson Chameleon crossing the road. As I didn’t want a car to run over it, I walked behind it, and they are not fast walkers, until it got into the grass on the other side of the road.


>>> Highest Temperature Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 109 degrees at Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 5 degrees at Peter Sinks, UT

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Tuesday afternoon: The moist trades we have been experiencing will give way to drier trade winds beginning tonight. A consistent pattern of mostly moderate but occasionally strong trades should continue well into next week, and perhaps beyond. Wind speeds will increase Wednesday through Thursday night, possibly to the wind advisory level, then decrease slightly this coming weekend.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Tuesday afternoon: Radar showed scattered showers over the Kona slopes, along with isolated windward and mountain showers on all islands. Cloud cover ranged from mostly clear to overcast, with the clearer conditions generally over leeward areas. Showers should weaken around sunset, but a few will continue overnight mainly windward and mountains.

Models remain consistent showing trade winds drying out and increasing in speed through Thursday. Higher wind speeds, potentially reaching wind advisory level, will arrive Wednesday and continue into Friday and perhaps Friday night. Showers will decrease both in number and intensity once the drier air arrives, with the main drying occurring Wednesday afternoon into the evening.

A consistent moderate to occasionally strong trade wind flow is expected to continue through the weekend, and well into next week, as a large surface high to our north remains strong enough to dominate our weather. A band or two of enhanced moisture may arrive after the weekend, but it`s too soon to see reliably that far into the future.


https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/npac.gif


Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – along with a Closer View of the islands / Here’s the latest Weather Map / Looping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Environmental Conditions…as of Tuesday afternoon: Locally fresh trades become strong with localized near-gales during the latter half of this week. The Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect and will eventually be expanded to all waters, as winds and seas build later this week.

Small, short to medium period, NNW swell filling in now. This will be followed later this week by a small NNW swell, emanating from a strong low near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. A series of small, long period, SSW swells supports near-average surf along south shores. Meanwhile, strengthening trades maintain elevated surf and short period, fresh swells along east facing shores into next week.

 

Poipu Beach Kauai


World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity


>>> Here’s a link to the latest Pacific Disaster Center’s Weather Wall


>>> Atlantic Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.

>>> Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.

>>> Gulf of America: There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

 

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

 

>>> Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

Routine issuance of the Tropical Weather Outlook will begin on June 1, 2026.

Here’s the link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> Southwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)



Interesting:  Warmer Waters Bring Great White Sharks to Southern California

Southern California has seen a spike in great white shark sightings amid a spate of unseasonably warm spring weather. Experts expect to see more unusual heat, and more sharks, in the months ahead.

Weather forecasters expect a warming El Niño to shape over the summer, and according to some experts, it may be one of the strongest ever recorded.

“The last time we had a strong El Niño was in 2015 and 2016, and we had a lot of juvenile white sharks hanging around early,” Chris Lowe, head of the Shark Lab at Cal State University, Long Beach, told the Los Angeles Times. “So I’m expecting this year to be a sharky summer.”

Read More: Yale Environment 360