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

 

The latest update to this website was at 825am Sunday morning HST


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

2.26  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
3.53  Tunnel RG, Oahu
1.93  Honolimaloo, Molokai
0.48  Lanai City, Lanai
3.66  West Wailuaiki, Maui
2.77  IPIF, Big Island


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

18  Port Allen, Kauai – E
27  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
29  Makapulapai, Molokai –  ESE
m   Lanai – missing
23  Na Kula, Maui – NE
22  South Point, 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.


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Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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Category 3 major Hurricane Lowell south of Lihue, Hawaii…with Tropical Storm Karina well to the east…and Category 1 Hurricane Marie spinning away from the Mexican coast

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Variable low clouds across the state 

 

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Category 3 Hurricane Lowell 

 

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Localized showers…locally heavy 

 

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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

831am, it’s mostly cloudy here in Maui County. My low temperature here in upper Kula was 62.5 degrees, with a light shower earlier this morning…and calm winds

 

Interesting Weather Web blog: Mauka Showers…Major Hurricane Lowell – Waiting for That Turn

 

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 end of November.


Hurricane Lowell

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time of arrival graphic

[Image of U.S. rainfall potential]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Sunday morning:  Breezy east-northeast trade winds will gradually veer to the east and then east-southeast this weekend into the upcoming week, as Hurricane Lowell approaches from the southwest. Lowell is forecast to pass west of Kauai`s coastal waters as a category 3 hurricane, and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Kauai and Niihau. Impacts such as high surf and heavy rain are forecast to extend hundreds of miles from the center, potentially impacting any of the islands.

Weather Narrative..as of Sunday morning: Radar and satellite imagery show a wetter than normal trade wind pattern with numerous showers over windward and mountain areas. Moisture has already increased across the area more than forecast, and this is contributing to the increase in showers. Several windward areas have already picked up over 1.50 inches of rainfall in the past 6 hours. Although there may be a daytime decrease in showers this afternoon, there is also a chance for thunderstorms on Big Island, which would of course come with high rain rates. The start time of the Flood Watch has been moved to noon from 6pm today (beginning 6 hours earlier) to account for the early arrival of the better moisture.

Hurricane Lowell is currently sitting south-southwest of Kauai, and moving northwest at 6 mph as a category 3 (125 mph maximum sustained winds). Lowell is forecast to continue a generally northerly track today, and then move north- northeast tonight through Monday. Its forward speed will increase today and tomorrow, and it is forecast to make its closest approach to Kauai County Monday night as a category 2 hurricane.

Lowell is forecast to pass 100 to 200 miles west of Kauai, and will bring several hazards to the state. The main hazards are expected to be flash flooding, strong winds, and high surf. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Kauai and Niihau and its associated waters. A Flood Watch is now in effect from noon today through the end of Tuesday for all islands.

The greatest risk for flooding is from this afternoon through Tuesday morning, and could potentially linger into Wednesday. Deep tropical moisture has been brought north by the circulation around Lowell. The environment will begin destabilizing Sunday afternoon. Thunderstorms were already in the forecast starting tonight, but have been moved up to this afternoon over the Big Island.

Kauai and Niihau are expected to receive the highest rain totals. However, the threat of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms will be present across the entire state starting this evening. Therefore, everyone in the state should be prepared for potential flash flooding. A flood watch is in effect statewide from this afternoon through Tuesday.

Winds will increase and veer from east to southeast tonight through Monday. Kauai County will of course have the strongest winds because it is closest to Lowell. Winds will increase for the rest of the islands to a lesser extent, but will see local amplification by terrain.

The threat of short-lived, fast-moving tornados/waterspouts will be present mainly near Kauai and Niihau as Lowell makes its closest approach to the islands. These would likely be embedded in rainbands. This is due to the islands proximity to Lowell`s east side, where low level shear and instability will increase as the center of circulation passes west of Kauai. The threat appears lower on other islands, though local maxima may occur in downwind convergence zones extending off the islands. This threat should decrease quickly early Tuesday morning.

Any deviation in track or intensity could also change how these hazards effect the islands.

High pressure is forecast to build back in Thursday through Saturday, bringing in drier and more stable conditions. Long range models then indicate a tropical wave potentially moving over the islands next Sunday into Monday, although confidence is low this far out.

Fire Weather:  Fire weather risk will remain low through the forecast period due to increasing moisture associated with Hurricane Lowell. The temperatures inversion heights are currently near 11,000 ft from Maui to the Big Island, and are expected to remain elevated during the next few days.

 

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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 morning: A surface high persists north of the Hawaiian Islands and will slowly drift east through the weekend. Currently, Hurricane Lowell is around 540 nm south-southwest of the islands as it continues to track west. The trade winds are beginning to ease slightly as Lowell gains a bit of distance from the island chain, and the Small Craft Advisory (SCA) has been trimmed back to only the windier waters and channels around Maui County and the Big Island through this afternoon. Lowell is expected to turn northward on Sunday, which will cause winds to veer to the southeast to south with the strongest winds over the western end of the state.

Confidence has grown with the latest updates from the National Hurricane Center for the potential for hurricane conditions in the offshore waters west of 160W Sunday night through Tuesday. While confidence is increasing in the track forecast of the cyclone, a deviation in track of 50 nm west or east from the current predicted path will have significant differences in impact for the coastal waters around Kauai County. As for Hurricane Karina, it is expected to weaken and pass northeast of the state.

Southerly swell generated by Hurricane Lowell will keep surf along south facing shores at High Surf Advisory criteria today. As Lowell begins to turn north on Sunday, its swell will gradually veer from south to southwest and begin a rapid upward trend. Very large surf exceeding warning criteria appears increasingly likely for south and west facing shores on Monday. Coinciding also with monthly high tides, this will create the potential for impacts to harbor entrances, channels, as well as coastal properties and infrastructure including roadways. Surf will then rapidly decrease on Tuesday after the hurricane passes north of the island chain. A pulse of northwesterly swell could then bring a bump to north shore surf on Tuesday and fade through Thursday.

East facing shores will see continued advisory level surf from a large, medium-period east swell generated by Hurricane Karina to the east of the islands. This swell will gradually fade early next week as Karina weakens into a tropical storm. Late next week, surf along east facing shores could be bolstered by some medium-period swell generated by Hurricane Marie in the East Pacific. Otherwise, expect choppy conditions from easterly trade wind swell through the week.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Friday, September 4, 2026 – 107 degrees near Topock, AZ


>>> Lowest Temperature Friday, September 4, 2026 – 24 degrees near Old Station, CA

 

Hawaii Landscape Photography Prints | Fine Art Wall Art | Aaron Reed


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


Gulf of America: There are no active tropical cyclones

 

 Northeast Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 13E (Marie)…is located about 675 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California

MARIE EXPECTED TO WEAKEN DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS

According to the NHC advisory number 18…

Marie is moving toward the northwest near 9 mph. A similar motion is expected today. A slight decrease in forward speed with a brief turn toward the west-northwest is possible on Sunday. Marie is then expected to resume a northwestward heading at a faster forward speed. Maximum sustained winds are near 90 mph with higher gusts. Steady weakening is forecast through early next week. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 970 mb (28.65 inches).

 

Central North Pacific

Tropical Cyclone 11E (Karina)…is located about 795 miles east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii

KARINA FORECAST TO QUICKLY WEAKEN THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK

According to the NHC advisory number 37…

Karina is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph. A turn toward the west is expected by late Sunday, and the system is expected to continue westward early next week until it dissipates. Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. Steady weakening is anticipated. Karina is forecast to dissipate late Monday or early Tuesday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 985 mb (29.09 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 630 miles south-southwest of Lihue, Hawaii

LOWELL FORECAST TO TURN NORTHWARD ON SUNDAY AND APPROACH THE WESTERN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON MONDAY…INTERESTS IN HAWAII SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR LOWELL’S PROGRESSAccording to the NHC advisory number 38…

Lowell is moving toward the west near 7 mph. A turn toward the northwest is expected by tonight, followed by a faster motion toward the north and north-northeast on Sunday and Monday. On the forecast track, the center of Lowell will move across portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, just to the west of the Hawaiian Islands, Monday night. Maximum sustained winds are near 150 mph with higher gusts. Lowell is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next day or so, followed by a gradual weakening trend on Sunday and Monday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 931 mb (27.50 inches).

HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND

RAINFALL: Hurricane Lowell is expected to produce rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches, with maximum totals exceeding 10 inches possible, for Kauai and the Big Island. For Maui, 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected, with isolated maximum totals of 8 inches possible. Across the remaining islands, rainfall of 1 to 2 inches with maximum amounts of 4 inches is possible. This rainfall may produce locally significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.

SURF: Swells from Lowell are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions during the next several days across many of the Hawaiian islands.

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 22W (Krovanh) is located approximately 108 NM east-southeast of Kadena AB

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Tropical Cyclone 23W is located approximately 341 NM east-northeast of Kadena AB – 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:  Drought Intensifies Across Puerto Rico

The month of May typically marks the onset of the wet season in Puerto Rico. But in 2026, rain had largely failed to materialize as of late August, and much of the U.S. territory found itself in the throes of drought. The dry conditions have contributed to water shortages and rationing in some areas, leading Puerto Rico’s governor to declare a state of emergency in late July and the U.S. government to issue a drought disaster declaration for more than two dozen cities and towns in late August.

This map depicts the extent and severity of drought in Puerto Rico on August 25, 2026. It was produced by the U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA. NASA has contributed Earth observations and expertise to the project for many years, and in 2026, the partnership was strengthened when two agency scientists joined the small team that authors the weekly drought assessments.

Effects of the hot and dry conditions appeared in a variety of satellite data products and ground-based observations that the U.S. Drought Monitor considers when creating its weekly assessments, said David Mocko, a senior research scientist in the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. For recent updates to Puerto Rico’s drought maps, satellite estimates of soil moisture, as well as weather, streamflow, and well observations, were particularly important factors, he said. Mocko authored the U.S. Drought Monitor update for August 18, 2026. He and Jonathan Case of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center are the first from the agency to produce the weekly maps.

Read More: NASA Earth Observatory