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

 

The latest update to this website was at 113pm Sunday afternoon HST


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

1.15  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
4.23  Kalawahine, Oahu
0.36  Honolimaloo, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.46  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.51  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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

10  Lawai, Kauai – ENE
18  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
17  Makapulapai, Molokai – ESE 
14  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
15  Nene Nest, Maui – SE
18  Kealakomo, 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

Thunderstorms in the deeper tropics south…possible tropical disturbances in the eastern Pacific 

undefined

>>> Well Southwest of the Baja California Peninsula:

A broad area of low pressure located well southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the middle part of the week while moving westward or west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the western portion of the East Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

>>> Eastern East Pacific:

An area of low pressure could form late this week or early next week, south of the southern coast of Mexico and Guatemala. Environmental conditions appear favorable for some development of this system thereafter, while it moves westward to west-northwestward at around 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20261511440-20261512230-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

A mix of low and high level cloudiness 

 

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 the current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

High clouds here in Maui County with calm winds at my place, and with a low of 51.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 80%


>>> Highest Temperature Saturday, May 30, 2026 – 109 degrees at Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Sunday, May 31, 2026 – 22 degrees at Angel Fire, NM

 

Dry season (May through September 2026) outlook (NOAA)

> The NOAA Climate Prediction Center’s (CPC) latest ENSO forecast favors (~80% chance) El
Niño conditions emerging by early summer and a greater than 90% chance of El Niño
persisting through the 2026/2027 winter.
> ENSO-neutral conditions present as of March 2026. CPC issued an El Niño Watch
(El Niño conditions favored to develop within the next 6 months) on April 9 .
> While uncertainty in El Niño strength remains, there is a greater than 60% chance
for at least a strong El Niño for late fall through winter.
> Caveats: The ENSO strength probabilities are NOT the same as the probability of
realized impacts. Stronger El Niño events do NOT ensure stronger impacts, but can
make it more likely that certain impacts could occur.
> Climate model consensus and the official CPC forecast favor above-normal
precipitation for all Hawaiian Islands through early autumn, which coincides with
past El Niño impacts in Hawaii.
> The 2026 Central Pacific basin hurricane outlook from CPC indicates the likelihood
of an above-normal season for the basin, which is located north of the equator
between 140°W and the International Date Line. Tropical cyclones and their
remnants can be significant contributors to summertime rainfall in Hawaii.
> Significant wet season rainfall and the potential for above-normal summer rainfall may help
delay (but not prevent) drought development and significant wildfire risk.
> However, the resulting vegetation growth provides abundant fuel and will likely
increase the potential for significant wildfire risk once it dries out.
> CPC indicates a likely switch from above normal summer rainfall to below normal
rainfall as we head into our climatological wet season.
> Any eventual drought impacts are expected to be felt first for non-irrigated agriculture, water
systems dependent on surface water diversions, and residents relying on rainfall catchment.

 

>>> Interesting weather website: Mauka Showers…Aerial vs Satellite Views – Part 2, Unsettled Weather Case

 

>>> Blue Moon 2026: An extremely rare micromoon

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Sunday afternoon:  Moderate trades weaken giving way to land and sea breezes through early this week. Increasing moisture will move up the island chain from the southeast through the early portion of the week, resulting in increased shower coverage over island interiors. Trade winds return late Wednesday onward.

Short Term Update:  Visible imagery depicts an area of moisture approaching the Big Island from the east, while a trough is located along the poleward side of the subtropical jet stream, slowly shifting south towards the islands. Satellite-estimated moisture depth to around 10,000 feet, combined with surprisingly focused low-level convergence, will sustain shower activity over/upstream of the Big Island through day and tonight. As the day progresses anticipate moisture mixing upslope in support of widespread upslope/interior showers. Showers then become more focused downslope and over coastal areas tonight. A few inches of rain over windward portions of the Big Island is certainly possible during the next 18 hours or so.

Mostly benign conditions over the western end of the state with the exception of Oahu, where terrain has allowed very efficient shower regeneration and localized rain rates of around 1.00″/hr. Coverage and intensity has recently diminished, so this morning`s Flood Advisory was allowed to expire. Light trades and daytime heating are forecast to refocus convergence over western slopes of Kauai and Oahu, where afternoon showers will be possible. As the aforementioned trough advances south tonight, an increase in trade wind showers can be expected.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Sunday afternoon: Satellite imagery and the latest surface analysis show a trough approaching from the north, along with a weak surface trough nearby to the southeast. A surge of mainly low-level moisture, and a weakened or elevated inversion will support increasing shower coverage through the first half of the upcoming week.

The increase in showers will likely be most pronounced over the eastern end of the state through Monday, then gradually expand up the island chain by Tuesday. With lighter trades allowing sea breezes to develop today, some afternoon showers are possible over interior and leeward areas.

High-resolution guidance shows the low-level flow backing toward the northeast and increasing to moderate levels by Monday, as the pressure gradient tightens. As moisture spreads across the state, windward shower coverage should increase, especially during the overnight and early morning hours from Monday through mid-week. Breezy trades and a more typical trade wind pattern are expected to return during the second half of the week, as the subtropical ridge restrengthens north of the area.


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 Sunday afternoon: The trades will ease into the light to moderate range today as a front weakens the ridge north of the islands. The front will dissipate and the ridge will gradually strengthen north of the state Monday and Tuesday, allowing the trades to gradually strengthen back to moderate and fresh levels. High pressure north of the islands will strengthen further by the middle to latter part of next week, bringing fresh to strong trades back to the waters, with Small Craft Advisories likely being required for the typically windy waters around Maui and the Big Island.

The current long-period south swell will hold at advisory levels today, then gradually lower tonight and Monday as forerunners from a new long-period south swell begin to arrive. Surf is expected to briefly dip below advisory levels tonight and Monday, but will likely return to advisory levels Tuesday through Thursday, potentially peaking close to warning levels on Wednesday.

A combination of advisory-level surf and water levels hovering slightly above predicted levels could lead to some wave runup issues during this afternoons high tide cycle, with water sweeping across areas of beaches that typically remain dry. Water levels will gradually lower through the rest of the week.

Surf along north-facing shores will remain small through Monday, then trend slightly higher Tuesday through Friday as a pair of overlapping small north-northwest swells move through. North shore surf will drop back to nearly flat levels next weekend.

East shore surf will remain well below normal through Tuesday due to lack of trade winds over and upstream of the state. Surf will trend upward Wednesday and Thursday and hold close to seasonal levels Friday through next weekend.

 

Hawaii Archives -


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

undefined

Well Southwest of the Baja California Peninsula:

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to form during the next few days well to the southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development thereafter, and a tropical depression is likely to form during the middle part of next week while moving westward or west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the western portion of the East Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

Eastern East Pacific:

An area of low pressure could form late this week or early next week, south of the southern coast of Mexico. Environmental conditions appear favorable for some development of this system thereafter, while it moves westward to west-northwestward at around 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

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: 

Tropical Cyclone 06W (Jangmi)…is located approximately 175 NM south of Kadena AB

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp0626.gif

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/06W_311800sair.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:  Cutting Methane Could Slow the Recovery of the Ozone Layer

Reducing methane emissions will slow climate change but could also slow the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, new research from the University of Reading shows.

The study found that cutting methane makes two other groups of gases more effective at destroying ozone. When methane levels fall, gases derived from halocarbons and nitrous oxide become more chemically active and break down the ozone layer more quickly. The more aggressive the methane reduction, the slower the ozone layer’s recovery.

Published 29th May 2026 in Geophysical Research Letters, the research indicates that the recovery of the ozone layer could be set back if action on methane is not matched by continued action on other damaging gases.

Dr James Weber, lead author from the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, said: “The findings do not suggest that cutting methane is the wrong thing to do. Methane is the second-most important greenhouse gas resulting from human activity, after carbon dioxide, and reducing it remains one of the fastest ways to slow climate change, with benefits for air quality as well.

Read More: University of Reading