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

 

The latest update to this website was at 727pm Sunday evening HST


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

2.22  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.03  Punaluu Pump, Oahu
0.41  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
2.91  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.30  Honolii Stream, Big Island


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

24  Port Allen, Kauai – ENE
39  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – E
32  Molokai AP, Molokai – NE
m   Lanai – missing
46  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
51  Puuloa, Big Island – WNW


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.


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Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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   Tropical cyclone 01C (Lala) far northwest…moving farther away / Tropical Cyclone 02C (Moke) south of Hawaii / Tropical Cyclone o9E (Iselle) offshore from Mexico although is heading west-northwest (which won’t be a threat to Hawaii)

 

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cone graphic

cone graphic

 

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Clouds associated with TC Moke south 

 

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Localized showers…some heavy around the Big Island and parts of Maui

 

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

426am, it’s clear here at my place here in Kula with a low temperature of 57 degrees, and the relative humidity is 85%

1058am, today has a completely different look and feel to it compared yesterday. Saturday was sunny and clear most of the day, while today started off clear and sunny, and in contrast today is partly to mostly cloudy…with increasing clouds as we head towards the afternoon hours.

246pm, cloudy is most directions, although I see some muted sunshine down along the coasts between Kihei and Wailea…what else is new! We’ve had a few very light showers here in upper Kula, and I’ve heard from friends that there’s passing showers along the windward side of east Maui.

503pm, cloudy just about everywhere here in Maui County, with showers along the windward sides, drier leeward.

 

Interesting Weather Blog: Mauka Showers…After Lala?…We Have to Deal With a Moke?

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Sunday evening:  Locally strong and gusty trade winds will ease slightly on Monday, as Tropical Storm Moke passes several hundred miles south of the islands. Moisture along the northern periphery of Moke will bring wet conditions and a risk of flash flooding on the Big Island, while less rainfall is expected to impact windward sections from Maui to Kauai over the next couple of days. Trade winds will drop to moderate strength on Tuesday, as Moke moves westward away from the area, with drier trade wind weather returning for the remainder of the week.

Weather Narrative..as of Sunday evening: Locally strong and gusty trades winds continue statewide, and wet conditions prevail on windward Big Island, as moisture along the northern periphery of Tropical Storm Moke brushes the southern end of the island chain. The exposed low level center marking the center of Moke is currently centered south-southwest of Kailua-Kona, while deep moisture being sheared to the north of the system is largely skirting just south of Big Island.

This has kept rainfall on windward Big Island at light to moderate intensity today, limiting rainfall to less than one inch during the past 12 hours, and less than a half of an inch in Kau and much of windward Maui. While the wind field surrounding Moke is well south of the islands, the tropical storm is helping to produce a rather tight pressure gradient over the state. The resulting breezy trades are enhanced over and just south of terrain, especially on portions of Big Island and Maui County, where gusts of around 50 mph are supporting a Wind Advisory.

A flood threat will continue for the Big Island through Monday, and winds will remain elevated tonight. As Moke continues to move westward, low- to mid-level flow on the Big Island will shift out of the east to east-southeast, which could optimize orographic (mountain) lift, and increase rainfall on windward and southeast slopes. The guidance continues to show large variation in potential total precipitation, meaning that confidence is lower than normal, but the main window for flooding will be through early Monday morning on windward areas, with a chance for spotty afternoon showers to produce localized flooding across the Kona Districts. A Flood Watch is posted for Big Island through Monday afternoon.

Elsewhere in the state, expect somewhat wet conditions windward, with passing showers leeward on gusty trades. The Wind Advisory for portions of Big Island and Maui County has been extended to account for lingering strong winds. Later tonight and Monday, trades will gradually lower as departing Moke allows the local pressure gradient to slowly relax.

Drier conditions will develop on Tuesday as trades fall to moderate strength. Expect much of the coming week to feature typical trade wind weather, with showers favoring windward slopes.

 

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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 Sunday evening: Fresh to locally strong winds will hold across all waters through tonight as Tropical Storm Moke passes far south of the island chain and a broad high pressure remains north of the state. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the offshore waters. Intense convection associated with this storm will remain over the southern portion of the offshore waters as this system tracks west and exits the region by Monday. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) for all waters has been extended through 6am Monday. Some areas of the coastal waters should drop out of the SCA Monday as TS Moke shifts west of state easing the pressure gradient across the state. Moderate to locally strong trades should return by Monday night or Tuesday.

Higher winds and short period wind wave swell generated by TS Moke appears to have peaked over the eastern half of the state. Surf along east and east-southeast facing shores should trend down a notch by Monday as TS Moke tracks west of the state but will still be elevated and choppy and strong trades hold.

Surf along most south-facing shores will be slightly below summer norms but still remain somewhat elevated due to a lingering small, long period south southwest swell. A three to four foot, medium to long period south swell is expected to arrive Monday and Tuesday which will maintain these near summertime heights.

Small, medium to long period west to north swell originating from Hurricane Lala is passing around north and west-facing coasts has peaked and should trend down Monday.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Sunday, August 23, 2026 – 120 degrees at Death Valley, CA


>>> Lowest Temperature Sunday, August 23, 2026 – 28 degrees near near Kirk, OR

 

Hawaii Island braces for Tropical Storm Moke rainfall, wind


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

>>> Central Subtropical Atlantic:

Invest 95L

Showers and thunderstorms are slowly getting better organized in association with a low pressure area centered about 400 miles southeast of Bermuda. Further development of the low is possible, and this system could become a short-lived tropical depression or storm during the next couple of days while it moves northward and north-northeastward, well northeast of Bermuda.

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

 

>>> Eastern Tropical Atlantic:

A tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa on Monday, and an area of low pressure could form in association with the wave early this week. Environmental conditions are forecast to be marginally conducive for development, and a tropical depression could form by the middle to latter portions of the week while the system moves generally westward at 15 to 20 mph across the eastern and central tropical Atlantic.

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

 

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: 

Tropical Cyclone 09E (Iselle)…is located about 530 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California

ISELLE CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHWESTWARD WELL OFFSHORE OF MEXICO

According to the NHC advisory number 3…

Iselle is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph and this motion is expected to continue through Monday, followed by a gradual turn toward the west-northwest on Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next day or two, and Iselle could become a strong tropical storm Monday night or early Tuesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 999 mb (29.50 inches).

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>>> Central East Pacific:

Invest 91E

Disorganized showers and thunderstorms are persisting with a broad area of low pressure located well to the south-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. Environmental conditions could support the development of a short-lived tropical depression during the next day or two before it interacts or merges with the disturbance to its northeast (EP92).

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

 

>>> Well southwest of southwestern Mexico:

Another area of low pressure is expected to develop well south of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula during the middle portion of this week. Some slow development is expected thereafter, and a tropical depression could form by the end of the week while the system moves generally west-northwestward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…70 percent

 

>>> Well offshore Southern Mexico:

Another area of low pressure could form well offshore of Central America late this week. Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development over the weekend as the system moves westward to west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph well offshore of southern Mexico.

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

 

Central North Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 01C (Lala)…is located about 390 miles north-northeast of Kure Atoll

LALA HOLDING STEADY OVER THE CENTRAL PACIFIC

According to the NHC advisory number 47…

Lala is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph, and a continued slow northwestward motion is expected over the next few days. Maximum sustained winds remain near 65 mph with higher gusts. Gradual weakening is forecast during the next several days. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 988 mb (29.18 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 02C (Moke)…is located about 335 miles south-southwest of Hilo, Hawaii

MOKE WEAKENS TO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION …HEAVY RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS LIKELY OVER THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII TODAY AND TOMORROW

According to the NHC advisory number 15…

The depression is moving toward the west near 14 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue during the next several days. On the forecast track, the center of Moke is expected to pass south and southwest of the Big Island of Hawaii tonight, then well south of the smaller main Hawaiian Islands tonight and Monday. Recent satellite wind data indicate that maximum sustained winds are now near 35 mph with higher gusts. Continued weakening is forecast, and Moke is expected to degenerate to a remnant low pressure area by Tuesday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1003 mb (29.62 inches).

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 Northwest Pacific Ocean:

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Tropical Cyclone 17W (Saudel)…is located approximately 487 NM east-southeast of Kadena AB

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Tropical Cyclone 18W (Narra)…is located approximately 104 NM east-southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam

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Tropical Cyclone 19W (Atsani)…is located approximately 346 NM north of Yap

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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: Buildings That Cool Like African Elephants

During sunny and sweltering summer days, much relief comes from sweat. As beads of moisture evaporate on the skin, they pull heat away almost invisibly. It feels like a nuisance, but this is one of the most efficient cooling systems in the animal kingdom.

But not all animals have the ability to sweat. The African elephant is one example, enduring intense heat out on the African savanna with dark gray, inches-thick skin. How does it stay cool?

“Wrinkles,” says Dorit Aviv, an associate professor of architecture in the Weitzman School of Design. “Elephants have a network of cracks in their skin that trap water. When they spray themselves, that water stays put and evaporates slowly, cooling them over time.”

Read More at: Penn State University

Inspired by the cracked, water-retaining skin of African elephants, architect Dorit Aviv and materials scientist Shu Yang have designed a cement-based tile that captures and slowly evaporates water, lowering surface temperatures without air conditioning. The approach, pictured in this prototype by Weitzman PhD student Ji Yoon Bae, could help cities stay cooler while cutting the energy and emissions tied to conventional cooling systems.