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

 

The latest update to this website was Saturday morning at 555am HST


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

2.05  Hanalei, Kauai
7.42  Tunnel RG, Oahu
1.39  Kamalo, Molokai
0.01  Lanai City, Lanai
7.42  Puu Kukui, Maui
4.20  Honolii Stream, Big Island


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

14  Nawiliwili, Kauai – NE
29  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – SE
27  Makapulapai, Molokai – ESE
21  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
22  Na Kula, Maui – SW
27  Puuloa, 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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Lots of thunderstorms in the deeper tropics…cold front far northwest 

 

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Well developed cumulus south and southeast…otherwise variably cloudy 

 

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Showers locally…a few are heavy 

 

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

It was mostly clear with some haze here this morning in Maui County, with a low temperature at my place 54 degrees…with the relative humidity 63%


>>> Highest Temperature Friday, May 15, 2026 – 108 degrees at Death Valley, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Saturday, May 16, 2026 – 22 degrees at Peter sinks, UT

 

>>> Interesting Weather Web blog: Mauka Showers…2025-2026 Wet Season Numbers…And Here Comes El Niño!

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Saturday morning: A slightly unstable trade wind flow will prevail today as a weakening upper level low produces isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms, mainly on the Big Island. Somewhat wet easterly trade winds will focus most rainfall along windward slopes Sunday into early next week. A more stable, moderate to breezy trade wind flow will develop Tuesday and Wednesday.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Saturday morning: Heavy showers and thunderstorms have decreased dramatically, as the upper level low over the islands weakens, and easterly trade winds have focused mainly moderate showers over windward slopes. There is some lingering instability from the upper low, but so far, only a few heavy showers have briefly flared up, even with a steady supply of low level moisture streaming into windward Big Island. Given recent trends, the Flood Watch has been cancelled.

Chances of heavy showers and thunderstorms will diminish today, as the upper low drifts eastward and weakens. Moderate easterly trade winds will focus rainfall over windward areas of all islands, with more shower activity expected on the Big Island, due to increased low level moisture filtering in from the east. Lingering instability from the departing upper level low could also trigger isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms on the Big Island, but the threat of flooding does not appear high enough to continue the Flood Watch.

Moderate easterly winds and a somewhat wet pattern of mainly windward and mountain showers is expected Sunday into early Tuesday. The upper low will be replaced by a broad and flat upper trough, which will not allow the atmosphere to become very stable. As a result, we cannot rule out a briefly heavy shower, mainly over the heated leeward slopes of the Big Island and Maui during the afternoon hours.

Increased stability and stronger trade winds are due late Tuesday or Wednesday. Expect a typical pattern of mainly windward rainfall and mostly dry conditions leeward.


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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 Environmental Conditions…as of Saturday morning: Winds will remain slightly east-southeasterly this weekend at moderate to fresh levels. The upper level disturbance that gave us some severe weather yesterday will be moving northeast away from the state, with stability slowly returning. As a result, expect decreasing showers and thunderstorms across the waters. A more typical easterly trade wind pattern will return next week.

A small, medium period, north-northwest (320-330 degree) swell that has peaked will continue to decline. Surf along north and west facing shores will follow suit, easing during the weekend.

A mix of small, medium to long period, south swells will maintain small surf along south-facing shores this weekend. A series of gale lows passing south of New Zealand should send small south swell energy into the southern waters through next week. Surf should lift to summer averages around Sunday and hold through Wednesday. Moderate to fresh trades will maintain rough and choppy surf along east-facing shores.

Tides will peak around 2.5 to 3.0 feet this weekend. Minor overwash of low lying coastal areas will be possible during times of high tide.

 

 

20 Best Kauai, Hawaii Beaches that Promise Amazing Views


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

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:  Study Finds Wetter Storms Mean Drier Conditions Over Time

A Dartmouth study shows that annual rainfall in much of the world has consolidated over the past four decades into heavier storms with longer dry periods in between.

“It doesn’t matter where you are, more consolidated rainfall means less water is available for the land. We show that this phenomenon is consistent worldwide, what physically accounts for it, and what we should expect going forward,” says Justin Mankin, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of geography.

“Rainfall concentration is almost as important to land wetness as how much rainfall you get in a year,” says first author Corey Lesk, who led the study as a Neukom Postdoctoral Fellow in Mankin’s Climate Modeling and Impacts Group.

Read More at: Dartmouth College

Dartmouth researchers used an economic tool called a Gini coefficient that typically measures wealth inequality to gauge how evenly or unevenly precipitation fell each year from 1980-2022. They found that annual rainfall has become more concentrated (blue scale) for most of the world, regardless of whether the local climate is wet or dry. The western United States saw among the highest levels of rain consolidation, with yearly rainfall for the Rocky Mountains becoming 20% more concentrated. Conversely, precipitation in the Arctic, Northern Europe, and Canada became less concentrated (brown scale) as their warming climates result in more snow and rain year-round.