Glenn James

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

 

The latest update to this website was at 913am Wednesday morning HST


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

1.34  Waialae, Kauai 
0.07  Maunawili, Oahu
0.18  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.78  Kihei #2, Maui
3.62  Kapapala Ranch, Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Wednesday morning:

15  Moloaa Dairy, Kauai – SW
07  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
08  Makaena, Molokai – SSE 
m   Lanai – missing
20  Na Kula, Maui – ESE
16  South Point, Big Island – NE


Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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

 

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 Tropical Storm Lowell continues moving away to the north

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Variable clouds across the state 

 

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/loops/IRHawaii/09.gif
 Mostly lower level clouds in the vicinity of the islands and offshore

 

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Localized Showers 

 

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




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

440am, it’s clear to partly cloudy here at my place. My low temperature here in upper Kula was 63.5 degrees, relative humidity 86%…and calm

839am, it’s cloudy here in upper Kula, and has the feel of showers in the air.

 

Well, now that we have Tropical Storm Lowell in the rear-view mirror, so to speak, we can’t let our guard down, and in that regard, we need to keep our eyes peeled to the southeast, east-southeast and east…the breeding grounds for tropical cyclones as we know.

This morning while perusing the latest computer forecast models I see several areas that could eventually spin up into Tropical Cyclones.

The most likely candidate is being referred to as Invest 96E over in the eastern Pacific at the moment. The NHC is giving this area of disturbed weather a high chance of developing within the next 2-7 days. If it were to become a TC, it would take on the name Norbert.

NWS Weather Prediction Center: “There is some potential that the islands may be watching yet another tropical cyclone trying to approach from the east with time, as this highly active hurricane season for Hawaii and its environs continues.”

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Wednesday morning: A light and variable wind flow will persist across the islands, with east or southeasterly winds filling in across Big Island and Maui County later today. A weak band of residual moisture stretching southeast from Tropical Storm Lowell down to Big Island and portions of Maui County, may bring a renewed threat of heavy showers, while sea breezes trigger spotty afternoon showers across the rest of the state. Trade winds will slowly build over the state late tonight into Thursday, but conditions will remain somewhat wet. Drier trade wind weather is expected to develop Thursday night through the weekend.

General Overview: In the wake of Lowell, broad troughing will persist over many of the Hawaiian Islands through Thursday. This troughing will allow for a greater coverage of light showers as compared to normal, as well as the possibility of rain impacting the leeward sides of the islands. What’s left of Lowell by Friday will be tracking west again, so that troughing will also slowly track west as well. In the wake of the trough during the day Friday, expect less coverage of light rains, as compared to normal, due to ridging behind the trough as the trades get reestablished.

Over the weekend, a normal trade wind pattern returns to the islands, making for the typical afternoon localized showers and dry periods at other times. The next tropical wave still looks to approach the islands Monday afternoon. The wave looks to be quite weak, so while it will be slow-moving, threatening greater-than-normal coverage of showers through Tuesday, no impacts are expected. Drier weather returns next Wednesday.

There is some potential that the islands may be watching yet another tropical cyclone trying to approach from the east in about 10 days or so, as this highly active hurricane season for Hawaii and its environs continues.

Weather Narrative…as of Wednesday morning: Latest IR satellite imagery loop shows a weakened and highly sheared Tropical Storm Lowell drifting northward, beyond our offshore waters, several hundred miles north-northwest of Kauai. A band of enhanced moisture can also be seen extending southeast from Lowell down through Maui and the Big Island. The Hilo sounding indicated a lower level moisture depth of 13,000 feet and a precipitable water value of 2.10″, significantly higher than the early September average of 1.40″.

This healthy moisture profile, along with light to locally moderate east or east-southeast wind flow, will help maintain scattered showers along windward and southeast Big island, as well as the eastern slopes of Haleakala on Maui. Elsewhere, a drier atmosphere continues to dominate with limited shower coverage. Both the GFS and ECMWF movels show the band of moisture draped over the eastern third of the state during the afternoon. This, combined with diurnal heating, will aid in more robust shower activity over the Big Island interior.

Models indicate rather marginal instability, but still enough for a slight chance of thunderstorms. Similar conditions are expected over Haleakala on Maui, but confidence is a bit lower. Maui County appears to sit on the leading edge of this moisture as it slowly drifts east to west across the state. Still, a few heavier afternoon showers are possible, especially over the southwest slopes of Haleakala near Kula, Keokea and Ulupalakua. The Flood Watch will remain in effect through this afternoon for the Big Island. However, diurnally driven sea breezes could bring showers to interior regions of the remaining smaller islands.

By Thursday, light to moderate trades will return to the entire state. The deeper moisture, now caught up in the trades, may bring an enhancement to mainly windward showers on all islands. Some of these showers may occasionally push over the terrain and into the leeward sides. Once again, diurnally driven heavier showers are forecast to develop over Big Island’s interior and upper slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa during the afternoon.

Friday through the weekend, troughing far northeast of the state will help to ease trades back into the light to moderate range, with a more typical trade showers concentrated along windward locations in the night to early morning hours.

Fire Weather:  Fire weather risk will remain low the next several days, due rather light winds and lingering moisture. Expect a slight chance of thunderstorms over the Big Island this afternoon and possibly Thursday afternoon. Temperature inversion heights are expected to remain elevated or weak.

 

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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 MapLooping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Conditions…as of Wednesday morning: Tropical Storm Lowell continues tracking away from the Hawaiian Islands. The far northwestern offshore waters now lie at the fringes of Lowell`s tropical storm-force wind field, which should allow the Tropical Storm Warning to be dropped soon. Elsewhere, light and variable winds will gradually transition to light to moderate easterly trade winds through the remainder of the week.

Surf along south facing shores remains choppy, but below advisory criteria, from a mix of lingering southwest and west swells from Tropical Storm Lowell that will continue to fade today. A moderate, medium-period south swell originating southeast of New Zealand will linger for the next few days, keeping south shore surf heights elevated. This swell fades gradually through the weekend, by which point south shore surf is expected to become small.

Surf along east facing shores remains elevated from a medium-period east swell generated by former tropical cyclone Marie. With light trade winds, surf will hover near seasonal averages through Friday. The east swell will fade gradually, allowing surf to fall below seasonal averages by this weekend. Surf along north facing shores continues to receive a small bump due to Lowell. This short-period northwest swell will quickly fade, allowing surf to become tiny along north facing shores on Thursday, as Lowell weakens and tracks away from the islands.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Tuesday, September 8, 2026 – 111 degrees at Yuma, AZ


>>>
Lowest Temperature Tuesday, September 8, 2026 – 15 degrees near Mackay, ID

 

Hawaiian nature | Hawaiian landscape, Tropical sea, Tropical paradise


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


Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones


Gulf of America:
There are no active tropical cyclones

 

 Northeast Pacific:

>>> Central Portion and West Portion of the East Pacific

Invest 96E

Shower and thunderstorm activity continues to become better organized in association with an elongated area of low pressure located several hundred miles south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Further development is expected, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the next day or two while the system moves generally west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

>>> Central Portion and West Portion of the East Pacific

An area of low pressure is forecast to form several hundred miles south of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula this weekend or early next week. Some gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form early next week while the system moves generally west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…40 percent

 

Central North Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 460 miles north-northwest of Lihue, Hawaii

LOWELL REMAINS A TROPICAL STORM AS IT MOVES NORTH-NORTHWEST

According to the NHC advisory number 52…

Lowell is moving toward the north-northwest near 13 mph. A gradual turn toward the northwest and then west is forecast today into Thursday. Then, the system’s forward motion is expected to slow later this week. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles rom the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 985 mb (29.09 inches)

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 22W (Krovanh) is located approximately 187 NM west-southwest of Atsugi, Japan – Final Warning

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp2226.gif

 

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>>> 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: 
Working Together to Combat Wildfires: Building Resilient Landscapes

Wildfires in the Mediterranean region are becoming drastically more intense. The recent major fires in France, Spain and Greece show that firefighting efforts are reaching their limits. An international research team led by the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel is therefore calling for a fundamentally new approach to landscape design: in the journal iScience, the researchers demonstrate that wildfire prevention should be conceived and planned in conjunction with nature conservation, agriculture and rural development.

Using ten landscape planning initiatives in the Mediterranean region as a basis, the team investigated how these affected the risk of wildfires. The models ranged from extensive grazing with cattle, sheep and goats (to reduce combustible biomass) through to controlled burning and collaboration between the agricultural and forestry sectors, nature conservation organizations, the scientific community and the fire services.

The result: initiatives that combined different forms of land use, actively involved various social groups and continuously refined their measures proved to be particularly successful. The researchers are therefore advocating a shift in wildfire management from a predominantly reactive approach to firefighting towards a long-term, preventive approach to shaping resilient landscapes.

Read More: University of Göttingen

Image: Wildfire prevention through the revival of diverse land uses in northern Extremadura (Spain)