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

 

The latest update to this website was at 546pm Sunday evening HST


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

0.66  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.40  Lyon, Oahu
0.08  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.14  West Wailuaiki, Maui
3.16  West Wailuaiki, Big Island


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

28  Port , Kauai – ESE
36  Kuaokala, Oahu – SW 
29  Molokai AP, Molokai – E
m   Lanai – missing
52  Na Kula, Maui – NNE
32  Kawaihae Rd, Big Island – NW


Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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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The tropical waters from southwest to southeast and far east-southeast of the islands are active with thunderstorms…along with two tropical cyclones 

 

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 Variable low clouds across the state…high clouds in the vicinity 

 

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Localized showers 

 

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




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

459am, it’s clear here at my place here in Kula with a low temperature of 53 degrees, and the relative humidity is 80%

1221pm, sunny, sunny, sunny!

140pm, clouds have increased in several areas, especially along the windward sides…leaving the coasts sunny in most leeward areas.

As we all know, the weather is always changing, like we are, or I guess like everything is for that matter. Looking over towards the north shore of east Maui, rather than clouds this afternoon, skies look quite clear again.

545pm, this last day of the weekend is drawing down, at least in terms of the sunshine. Satellite imagery shows some clouds coming in towards the windward sides soon, which may drop a few showers there.

 

A good friend recently sent me a youtube video portraying the poet Mary Oliver. Many of you have never heard of her, and yes, there are those of you who have and love her words…you know who you are.  I just finished watching this documentary, it was a PBS production, and I must say that I loved it. Personally, I must have at least 10 of her poetry books, and even though I’ve read every one more than once over the last several decades or more, I never put them away for long. If you’d care to watch her, and yes there are some very touching moments…here’s a link: Mary Oliver

 

We continue to be in the heart of our hurricane season, so that we need to keep our eyes peeled for systems taking aim on our Hawaiian Islands through the next three months.

As such, the NHC has advisories active on two tropical cyclones, both of which will work their way into our central Pacific…(Lowell is already in our central Pacific)

This first TC is Tropical Storm Lowell, although is forecast to become a hurricane early Tuesday. The current forecast track shows Lowell staying to the south of the islands. The other system, Hurricane Karina, may come close or even very close…there’s a high degree of uncertainty.

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Sunday evening: Breezy trades will continue over the next few days, then slightly weaken towards the middle of the week. Showers will generally favor windward and mauka areas, particularly during the overnight through early morning hours each day. Tropical Storm Lowell remains far east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands, and uncertainty regarding its track and intensity forecast remains very high at this time.

An approach by Lowell that is sufficiently far south to prevent direct impacts to the islands, will still bring elevated humidity and a high likelihood of gusty winds for Labor Day Weekend.

Weather Narrative..as of Sunday evening: A 1034 millibar high far north of the state will continue to produce breezy conditions across the state today. Latest radar and satellite imagery is showing some scattered light showers riding in with the breezy trades. Shower activity should generally trend down throughout the day, with mostly dry conditions expected this afternoon.

Starting tonight, we should see a slight increase of showers move in with the breezy trades, due to a subtle increase of low level moisture. Some passing showers will likely linger across windward and mauka areas through Monday, with a few light showers possible over leeward areas as well. Tuesday and Wednesday will also be fairly similar to Monday, with some passing showers over windward and mauka areas. Trades may briefly weaken slightly late Tuesday into Wednesday.

For the second half of this week, the weather forecast for Hawaii will be dependent on the track of T.C Lowell. Currently Lowell is a Tropical Storm well to the east-southeast, and is expected to strengthen into a Hurricane over the next few days. The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has Lowell passing around 300 miles south of the Big Island Thursday morning.

While the run from the ECMWF and the run from the GFS models show a slower track, but a closer track to the state. The run from the better performing GDM model shows it further south (roughly 400 miles south of the Big Island) than the official track. So as you can see, there is a lot of spread in the forecast models, thus it is too early to predict any potential impacts to Hawaii at this time. While it is too early to predict any specific impacts, it’s looking likely that we will see windier weather towards the end of the week. How strong the winds will be is yet to be determined…

Fire Weather:  We saw a fairly dry day across parts of the state yesterday, with humidities getting down into the upper 30’s for select leeward areas. Another breezy and dry day is expected today, with humidities down into the low 40’s and possibly upper 30’s again for a few leeward areas this afternoon. While fuel conditions do not remain critical at this time due to the abundant rainfall we received over the past several weeks, moderate fire danger will be possible for areas that have not received much rainfall over the past few weeks. An increase of showers and humidities is expected tonight into Monday. While the passing showers should be confined to mainly windward and mauka areas, some higher minimum humidities is expected for Monday. Soundings show the temperature inversion between 5,000 to 6,000 feet today. We should see the inversion rise to 6,000 to 7,000 feet on Monday.

 

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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 MapLooping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Conditions…as of Sunday evening: A strong high pressure system will remain locked in place north of the Hawaiian Islands this week. Moderate to locally strong trade winds will prevail. Tropical Cyclone Lowell may move into the Hawaiian Offshore Waters from Wednesday into Thursday. Wind and weather impacts and timing will be driven by the speed and track of Lowell as it moves towards the area.

The current south swell will slowly decrease over the next several days. Overlapping background small, long and medium period south swell energy, will keep small surf heights lingering along south facing shores through the week. The next good boost in south swell energy will arrive and fill in from Tuesday to Wednesday. This swell will peak on Wednesday, just below south shore advisory thresholds, and then slowly decline through the end of the week.

Trade wind swell energy will continue to keep elevated surf heights along all east facing shores during the week.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Sunday, August 30, 2026 – 112 degrees at Ocotillo, CA


>>>
Lowest Temperature Sunday, August 30, 2026 – 21 degrees near Kirk, OR

 

Why Choose Kauai Over Other Hawaiian Islands? | Makana Charters


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

Caribbean Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands:

Remnants of Dolly

A strong tropical wave, the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly, is producing an area of showers and thunderstorms from Puerto Rico eastward across the Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands. Satellite data and surface observations indicate that there are no signs of a closed surface circulation, and redevelopment is unlikely during the next day or two while the wave moves westward to west-northwestward at about 25 mph. The system could bring locally heavy rains and gusty winds to portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola over the next couple of days. Conditions may become more conducive for redevelopment by the middle of the week as the system reaches the southeastern Gulf of America.

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

 

Gulf of America: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> Northern Gulf of America:

Invest 97L

An area of low pressure located over the northern Gulf of America, about 125 miles south of the coast of southeastern Louisiana, continues to become better defined, and the associated shower and thunderstorm activity is gradually increasing. Continued gradual development is expected as the low moves slowly west-northwestward, and a short-lived tropical depression or tropical storm is likely to form before the system reaches the Upper Texas or southwestern Louisiana coasts on Tuesday or Tuesday night.

Interests along the southwest Louisiana and Upper Texas coasts should monitor the progress of this system, as tropical storm watches or warnings could be required for portions of the area later tonight or Monday morning. Regardless of development, this system is expected to bring locally heavy rainfall to portions of the Upper Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts during the next several days. An Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft is scheduled to investigate the low-pressure area on Monday morning.

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

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 11E (Karina)…is located about 985 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California

MAJOR HURRICANE KARINA MOVING WESTWARD

According to the NHC advisory number 15…

Karina is moving toward the west near 9 mph and this motion is expected to continue through the day on Monday. A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast Monday night into Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 125 mph with higher gusts. Karina is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some additional strengthening is possible over the next day or so. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 954 mb (28.17 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 900 miles east-southeast of Hilo, HI

LOWELL HOLDING STEADY ON A WESTWARD TRACK

According to the NHC advisory number 14…

Lowell is moving toward the west near 12 mph, and a general westward motion is expected during the next two to three days. A gradual turn toward the west-northwest is forecast later this week. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is expected during the next few days, and Lowell could become a hurricane by Monday night or Tuesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 999 mb (29.50 inches).

 

>>> Well offshore of Southwestern Mexico:

Invest 95F

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure located well offshore of southwestern Mexico remain disorganized. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development, and a tropical depression is likely to form within the next couple of days while the system continues to move west-northwestward to northwestward at 10 to 15 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

Central North Pacific

>>> Central Pacific:

An area of low pressure could form well south or southwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the next couple of days. Some gradual development is possible thereafter while it moves slowly westward across the central Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…30 percent

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

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Tropical Cyclone 20W (Bang-lang)…is located approximately 889 NM north of Wake Island – Final Warning

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Tropical Cyclone 21W (Etau)…is located approximately 744 NM north of Wake Island – Final Warning

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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:
Narwhals Help Researchers Uncover Unique Data From the Deepest East Greenland Fjords

They live in some of the most inaccessible waters on Earth, where ocean temperatures hover around freezing. And because they move through areas that humans rarely reach, they have been able to help researchers with a very special task.

Equipped with sensors, six narwhals from the Scoresby Sound region, the world’s largest fjord system on Greenland’s east coast, collected data during their natural movements. This provided researchers from the University of Copenhagen, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources and other institutions with entirely new data that would otherwise have been impossible to obtain.

“The narwhals have been in parts of the fjords where very few measurements have been taken before. And there, 300 kilometres from the coast, we find traces of Atlantic water. It is completely new that we can show this,” says Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, Professor at the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources.

The water in the fjord system is a mixture of cold Polar Water originating in the Arctic and warmer, more saline Atlantic Intermediate Water from the Atlantic Ocean.

Read More: University of Copenhagen

Image: Six narwhals like these were equipped with CTD sensors that measured ocean temperature, salinity and depth.