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

 

The latest update to this website was at 112pm Thursday afternoon HST


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

0.05  Kilohana, Kauai
0.22  Hawaii Kai GC, Oahu
0.43  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.39  Lanai City, Lanai
0.49  Ulupalakua, Maui
1.42  Pohakuloa Keamuku, Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Thursday afternoon: 

21  Port Allen, Kauai – SW
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – WSW 
28  Makapulapai, Molokai – SSW
m  Lanai 1, Lanai – m
40  Na Kula, Maui – NE
29  South Point, Big Island – E


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 (out of operation). 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

 Hurricane Genevieve moving away from Mexico…no threat to Hawaii 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20262111410-20262112200-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

  Remnants of former Tropical Cyclone Fausto northwest of Kauai…moving away

 

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 

 

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

 

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

450am, it’s mostly cloudy here in upper Kula with calm winds, and a low temperature at my place of 58 degrees…with the relative humidity 85%

720am, I see quite a bit of vog in our air here on Maui, I’ll skip my first walk.

112pm, just back from pickleball, with our skies partly to mostly cloudy, with still a fair amount of voggy air here in Maui County.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – 119 southwest of Tecopa, CA

>>> Lowest Temperature Wednesday, July 29, 2026 – 34 degrees near Bynum, MT

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Thursday afternoon:  The remnants of Fausto will continue to shift far northwest of the area today. A strong high will build in from the north, allowing trade winds to strengthen from east to west across the state, reaching breezy levels by this afternoon and evening. Trades will further strengthen Friday into Saturday, under a dry and stable airmass, that could produce very windy downsloping winds that may warrant a Wind Advisory. Trades will ease back to the usual breezy levels Sunday into early next week as the high weakens. Typical summertime showers are expected for windward and mountain areas.

Short Term Update: A band of widely scattered light to moderate showers, associated with the remnants of Fausto, is quickly becoming diffused over the Kauai Channel, with the heavier showers well north of Kauai. A hybrid pattern of sea breezes and light to breezy southeast winds could increase chances of clouds and showers over interior and upslope mountain ranges for the western half of the state.

Otherwise, breezy easterly trade winds will push a shallow deck of clouds and with embedded light to moderate showers over the Big Island and Maui County, and the rest of the state this afternoon, leading to a more typical summertime trade wind pattern by this evening.

Weather Narrative..as of Thursday afternoon: A band of light to moderate showers will transit through the western half of the state, as the remnant circulation and moisture of Fausto exits the area to the west. East to southeast winds can still be expected for Oahu and Kauai, before the typical breezy easterly trade winds fill in during the afternoon.

Showers then will focus over the usual windward and mountain areas through the weekend into next week. Trade winds are then forecast to ramp up Friday and Saturday to strong levels, as high pressure to the north strengthens. Model cross sections show the inversion staying around 5,000 feet. These factors will increase the chances of strong downsloping winds under an increasingly stable airmass, and could get to wind advisory levels.

The time period for the strongest winds at this time appears to be Friday night through Saturday afternoon, while drier air moves in with these strengthening trades. The lower humidity, decrease in showers, and increased winds will elevate the fire weather threat. Sunday into early next week, trades will weaken to moderate to locally breezy levels as Hurricane Genevieve tracks far northeast of the state, disrupting the trade wind flow.

Fire Weather…Trade winds will to strengthen today becoming strong Friday into Saturday. Coinciding with the strong winds, a drier and more stable airmass is forecast to arrive, increasing the potential for locally strong downsloping winds. The (wind and mid 40’s relative humidities), could increase the fire weather concerns.

 

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 Conditions…as of Thursday afternoon: Variable to light northerly winds will yield to east-southeast to easterly trades building in from east to west across the state today, as Fausto’s remnant low exits off to the northwest. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in effect through Friday night for strong trade winds throughout the windier waters of Maui County and the Big Island.

Trades strengthen through the weekend, which could necessitate an expansion of the SCA to the rest of the coastal waters later on. A weakness in the ridge of high pressure develops on Sunday, which will cause trade winds to weaken again for early next week.

A medium period south swell peaking today will bring south shore surf around the summer average. Surf then fades gradually through the weekend, while a mix of small south swells maintains surf slightly below the seasonal average.

Surf along east shores will trend up tonight into the weekend, due to a combination of building short period trade wind swell and renewed medium to long period east swell emanating from Hurricane Genevieve in the East Pacific. North shores will see flat to tiny surf through early next week, as a weakening Fausto moves away from the islands and no significant north swells are forecast.

 

Hawaiian island guide: Find the best destination for your interests


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.

 

Northeast Pacific:

Hurricane 07E (Genevieve)…is located about 965 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California

GENEVIEVE MOVING OVER COOLER WATERS

cone graphic

IR Satellite Image

According to the NHC Advisory number 27 

Genevieve is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph. This general motion is expected to continue during the next several days. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next few days, and Genevieve is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later today and become a remnant low late this weekend. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 984 mb (29.06 inches).

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

 

Central North Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  

Tropical cyclone 12W (Dolphin)…is located far east of Kadena AB  

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp1226.gif

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/12W_301200sair.jpg

 

>>> 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:  Weather Whiplash Helped Fuel the Wildfires in France and Spain

In a summer of record heat waves, France and Spain are now facing wildfires that have forced the evacuations of more than 300,000 people. Scientists say that a sharp swing from wet to dry weather, a signature of climate change, helped fuel the blazes.

Although western Europe saw a rainy start to the year, “the summer of 2026 is emerging as one of Europe’s most significant heat and drought events in recent years,” said scientists at World Weather Attribution.

Last month was the hottest June on record in Western Europe, which recorded more than 10,000 excess deaths during an unprecedented heat wave. Fires are now burning near Bordeaux, France, and Madrid, Spain, and have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in both countries. In some places, towering columns of smoke have even given rise to “fire clouds,” which can generate high winds and lightning strikes that further the spread of fire.

Read More: Yale Environment 360