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

 

The latest update to this website was at 851 pm Thursday evening HST


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

0.36  Kilohana, Kauai
0.93  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.37  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
1.18  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.54  Kulaimano, Big Island


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

21  Nawiliwili, Kauai – NE
27  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
24  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
27  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
33  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
31  Pali 2, Big Island – N 


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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Thunderstorms in the deeper tropics south…tropical disturbance in the eastern Pacific  

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Well Southwest of the Baja California Peninsula:

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to form early next week well to the southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Some gradual development of this system is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form during the middle part of next week while it moves westward or west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the western portion of the East Pacific.

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

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20261482200-20261490550-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif

Variably cloudy 

 

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Localized showers…mostly windward 

 

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

It’s mostly clear here in Maui County with calm winds at my place, and with a cool low of 50.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 80%

513pm, a well balanced day weatherwise, with a mix of sunshine and cloudiness, at least here on Maui.

717pm, there’s an area of disturbed weather in the eastern Pacific, that might spin up into a tropical depression within the next 7-days. The models don’t show this area holding together for very long, as likely upper level winds will help to diminish it. However, the models go on to show whatever is left of the system, in terms of clouds and embedded showers arriving here in the islands next week, which could increase our local shower activity.


>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, May 28, 2026 – 108 degrees at Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, May 28, 2026 – 23 degrees near Green Valley Lake, CA

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Thursday evening: Breezy trades will gradually weaken through the weekend, as a broad low pressure system developing to the far north disrupts the surface ridge extending over the islands. Clouds and showers will favor windward and mountain areas through Friday, then sea breezes will shift the focus to island interiors each afternoon over the weekend.

Early next week, increasing moisture will move up the island chain from the southeast, increasing rain chances for the eastern end of the state Monday and Tuesday. Moderate to locally breezy trades are expected to return by mid-week next week.

Update: Latest radar and satellite imagery still displays scattered showers moving across windward and mountain locations, with moisture upstream suggesting this trend will persist, despite limited accumulation as a result. Trades remain breezy, but will noticeably weaker in the next day or so.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Thursday evening: The strong surface ridge to north of the state that is driving breezy trades across the area, will gradually weaken through the weekend, as a broad low pressure system develops to the far north. As a result, the trades will ease, allowing land and sea breezes to develop over the weekend into early next week, increasing the chance of seeing leeward and interior clouds and showers each afternoon, followed by clearing overnight.

A weak upper level trough will quickly pass overhead Friday through Saturday, weakening the low level inversion and possibly allowing for some slight enhancement of any showers that move in on the weakening trades, or that develop over island interiors with the sea breeze activity each afternoon…although available moisture will be fairly limited.

Model guidance suggests that moisture levels will trend upwards sometime Monday night through Wednesday, as a large plume of tropical moisture moves up the island chain from the southeast. At the same time, surface and mid level ridging will begin to build back over the area, allowing the trades to gradually become reestablished by mid-week, likely focusing that moisture along windward and mountain areas with an increase in shower activity.


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 Thursday evening: Fresh to strong trade winds will persist into early Friday then ease to moderate levels during the weekend. A rather strong surface high centered far northwest of Hawaii will hold into tonight, and a Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for the typically windy waters around Big Island and Maui County. The pressure gradient over the islands will start to weaken on Friday as the high slowly loses strength, and trades will begin a slow decline, though winds will be at borderline SCA strength through the day. Trade winds will ease to moderate levels Saturday through Monday, followed by gradual strengthening Tuesday.

A series of south-southwest swells will produce elevated surf along southern shores through much of the week. A mix of south and south-southwest swells will maintain surf near seasonal average though tonight, with long period forerunners of a larger south-southwest swell building on Friday. Even though the bulk of this swell was aimed just east of Hawaii, surf along south facing shores is expected to exceed the High Surf Advisory (HSA) threshold of 10 feet by Friday night or Saturday. This swell will peak Saturday night, and after a gradual decline Sunday, a potentially larger pulse of overlapping south-southwest swell arrive on Monday. These swells will keep south shore surf near or above the HSA threshold through Thursday.

The current small northwest swell will slowly lower Friday and Saturday and will fade Sunday. A small north swell will likely produce surf near seasonal average for north facing shores late Tuesday or Wednesday into Thursday.

Expect surf to remain around seasonal average into early Friday, then slowly decline through early next week as trade winds ease. A slight increase is possible Tuesday and Wednesday due to a

 


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

Well Southwest of the Baja California Peninsula:

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to form early next week well to the southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Some gradual development of this system is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form during the middle part of next week while it moves westward or west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph across the western portion of the East Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…50 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 743 NM south-southeast of Kadena AB

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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:  Seedling Census Offers Clues to What the Future Might Hold for Michigan Forests

The history of a forest might be measured by the trunks and branches looming overhead. But for some MSU researchers, a forest’s future lies in what’s growing under their feet.

Every summer for nearly three decades, a team led by EEB core faculty member Richard Kobe has made their way to Manistee National Forest in northwestern Lower Michigan to look for new trees that have sprouted.

At less than a year old, the youngest seedlings growing in the under story aren’t much taller than their toes.

Read More at: Michigan State University

After monitoring newly sprouted trees like this ironwood seedling growing in Michigan’s Manistee National Forest for 25 years, researchers noticed that certain species that showed up as seedlings at some sites were rarely present as full-grown trees. They have been trying to figure out what keeps some young trees from flourishing and living out their lifespan.