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

 

The latest update to this website was at 606pm Wednesday evening HST


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

0.32  Waialae, Kauai 
0.31  Moanalua RG, Oahu
0.02  Kamalo, Molokai
1.06  Lanai 1, Lanai
3.04  Puu Kukui, Maui
2.47  Kaiaulu Puu Waawaa, Big Island


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

16  Nawiliwili, Kauai – SE
18  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
23  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
m   Lanai – missing
24  Kahului AP, Maui – NE
18  Upolu AP, Big Island – NE


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.


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Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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 Tropical Storm Lowell continues moving away to the north…Tropical Depression 14E has formed far east-southeast towards Mexico

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Variable clouds across the state…and over the offshore waters 

 

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 Mostly lower level clouds in the vicinity of the islands and offshore

 

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Localized Showers…some heavy 

 

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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.

430pm, foggy with drizzle here in upper Kula

6pm, cloudy and foggy here in upper Kula…with lift mist falling

 

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.

Tropical Depression 14E is active far east-southeast towards Mexico

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

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 evening: Residual moisture from Tropical Storm Lowell stretching into to Big Island and portions of Maui County may bring a renewed threat of heavy showers through this evening, 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, though moisture remains elevated across much of the state. Drier trade wind weather is expected to develop Thursday night into early next week.

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 evening: Satellite water vapor imagery shows drier air in the low and mid levels spreading south into Maui County, with remnant moisture from Tropical Storm Lowell lingering across the Big Island. Scattered showers have developed from Molokai southward. Despite Precipitable Water around 2.00″ further south, peak rainfall rates over the Big Island have only been around 0.50″/hr so far. Hi-res models show little change in rainfall rates, increasing mainly on the windward sides of the islands tonight into Thursday morning, as the band of tropical moisture shifts westward across the state, and easterly flow strengthens slightly, and a few showers may spill over onto the leeward side.

Instability remains marginal tomorrow, but enough to warrant a slight chance of thunderstorms with locally heavier rainfall over the interior of the Big Island this afternoon and again Thursday afternoon. Friday through early next week, a large upper level low well northeast of the state, and weak troughing aloft will allow for light to moderate trade winds to prevail, with a more typical trade showers concentrated along windward locations in the night to early morning hours. Humidity will also decrease during this period as low-level drying occurs.

 

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

 

Marine Conditions…as of Wednesday evening: Tropical Storm Lowell is far NNW of Lihue, and is now well away from the offshore waters. Lingering moisture from Lowell will continue to produce some scattered downpours over the eastern half of the coastal and offshore waters. Light and variable winds will gradually transition to light to moderate easterly trade winds, starting this evening over the eastern half of the state, and slowly spreading westward through Thursday. By Thursday evening, we should see moderate to locally fresh trade winds across the state through the weekend.

A moderate long-period south swell has peaked, but continues to produce elevated surf along south facing shore. This long-period south swell combined with short-period southwest to west swells from Lowell, will produce advisory level surf. The long-period south swell will gradually fade 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 Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – 116 degrees at Death Valley, CA


>>> Lowest Temperature Wednesday, September 9, 2026 – 17 degrees at Peter Sinks, UT

 

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

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 westward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…50 percent

 

Central North Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 610 miles northwest of Lihue, Hawaii

LOWELL TURNING WESTWARD AS IT GRADUALLY WEAKENS

According to the NHC advisory number 56…

Lowell is now moving toward the west near 14 mph. A general westward motion is forecast for the next day or so. Then, the system’s forward motion is expected to slow late this week as it turns back northwestward. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next day or so followed by a brief period of reintensification by the end of the week. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 991 mb (29.27 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 14E…is located about 625 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja CA

DEPRESSION LIKELY TO BECOME A TROPICAL STORM ON THURSDAY

According to the NHC advisory number 2…

The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph, and a generally westward motion is expected over the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm on Thursday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 mb (29.71 inches).

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

 

>>> Well South-Southeast of the Hawaiian Islands:

A broad trough of low pressure associated with disorganized showers and thunderstorms has formed well to the south-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. Some gradual development of this system is possible late this week into the weekend as this system moves generally northward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

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

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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)