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

 

The latest update to this website was Wednesday morning 506 am HST


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

1.37  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.16  Moanalua RG, Oahu
0.03  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.23  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.96  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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

17  Nawiliwili, Kauai – NE
42  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – E 
31  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
27  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
33  Kahului AP, Maui – NE 
40  Puulua, 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.

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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Cold front far northwest…high clouds southeast

 

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Variably cloudy, mostly low clouds in the general vicinity

 

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https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

Localized showers 

 

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

It’s mostly clear with low clouds along the windward sides with a few showers here in Maui County, with calm winds at my place, with a low of 55 degrees and the relative humidity is 84%


>>> Highest Temperature Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 109 degrees at Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – 12 degrees near Mackay, ID

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Tuesday evening: Trade winds will steadily increase Wednesday through Thursday night and will bring windy conditions by Thursday. Wind speeds could increase to wind advisory level, especially over Maui County and the Big Island on Thursday. Passing showers will continue to ride in with the breezy to windy trade winds through the weekend.

Update: Latest satellite imagery shows a band of moisture just east of the state which should be arriving late tonight into Wednesday morning. Scattered showers will ride in with the strengthening trade winds, which should mainly be focused over windward and mountain areas. A few showers will also be possible over the leeward sides. A drier air mass will move in late Wednesday into Thursday, but with the windy conditions, light passing showers are still expected over windward and mountain areas.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Tuesday evening: Radar showed scattered showers over the Kona slopes, along with isolated windward and mountain showers on all islands. Cloud cover ranged from mostly clear to overcast, with the clearer conditions generally over leeward areas. Showers should weaken around sunset, but a few will continue overnight mainly windward and mountains.

Models remain consistent showing trade winds drying out and increasing in speed through Thursday. Higher wind speeds, potentially reaching wind advisory level, will arrive Wednesday and continue into Friday and perhaps Friday night. Showers will decrease both in number and intensity once the drier air arrives, with the main drying occurring Wednesday afternoon into the evening.

A consistent moderate to occasionally strong trade wind flow is expected to continue through the weekend, and well into next week, as a large surface high to our north remains strong enough to dominate our weather. A band or two of enhanced moisture may arrive after the weekend, but it`s too soon to see reliably that far into the future.


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 Tuesday evening: Locally fresh trades become strong with localized near-gales during the latter half of this week. The Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect and will eventually be expanded to all waters, as winds and seas build later this week.

Small, short to medium period, NNW swell filling in now. This will be followed later this week by a small NNW swell, emanating from a strong low near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. A series of small, long period, SSW swells supports near-average surf along south shores. Meanwhile, strengthening trades maintain elevated surf and short period, fresh swells along east facing shores into next week.

 

The 9 Best South Maui Beaches: Wailea, Kihei, and Makena Beaches! - The Hawaii Vacation Guide


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

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

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:  There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> 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:  Satellite Launch Pollution Rapidly Accumulating in the Upper Atmosphere

The potent pollution from so-called “mega-constellation” satellite systems launched en masse into space since 2019 will account for nearly half (42%) of the total climate impact of space sector pollution by the end of the decade, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

Publishing in Earth’s Future, the research team examined air pollution produced by the growing number of rocket launches, and the discarded rocket bodies and dead satellites falling back to Earth. The black carbon (soot) generated from these sources lingers in the upper atmosphere far longer than that from ground-based sources, resulting in a 500-fold greater impact on the climate.

Using data from rocket launches and satellite deployments between 2020 and 2022, the team projected emissions out to the end of the decade. The analysis showed that in 2020 these mega-constellations contributed about 35% to the total climate impact from the space sector and will climb to 42% by 2029.

Read More at: University College London