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

 

The latest update to this website was at 1245pm Sunday afternoon HST


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

0.82  Kilohana, Kauai
0.78  Lyon, Oahu
0.23  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
1.42  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.36  Kawainui Stream Big Island


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

28  Lihue, Kauai – NE
37  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
35  Molokai AP, Molokai – NE 
36  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
45  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NE
39  Waikoloa 2, Big Island – ENE


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…thunderstorms in the deeper tropics to our south 

 

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Clear to variably cloudy…high clouds south 

 

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

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

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

Localized showers mostly windward…although not exclusively 

 

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

It’s mostly clear here in Maui County, along with the usual low clouds along the windward sides, with calm winds at my place, and with a very chilly low of 48.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 78%


>>> Highest Temperature Saturday, May 23, 2026 – 107 degrees at Stovepipe Wells, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Sunday, May 24, 2026 – 24 degrees near Creede, CO

 

NOAA predicts active Pacific hurricane season as El Niño returns

NOAA is predicting a 70 percent chance of above-normal activity in both the eastern and central Pacific basins this year. In the eastern Pacific, forecasters expect between 15 and 22 named storms, including up to 14 hurricanes, and as many as nine major hurricanes. In the central Pacific — the region that includes Hawaii — NOAA predicts between five and 13 tropical cyclones this season.

NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs said El Niño is one of the biggest factors behind this year’s forecast.

“In the central and eastern Pacific, the El Niño reduces the vertical wind shear, essentially the opposite of the Atlantic, which is why we’re expecting an above-average season, in addition to the warmer sea surface temperatures,” Jacobs said.

Lower wind shear allows storms to organize and strengthen more easily over the Pacific Ocean.

Compared to last year’s outlook — when the central Pacific forecast called for just one to four storms and the eastern Pacific expected 12 to 18 named storms — this year’s projections point to a more active season overall.

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Sunday afternoon:  Several high pressure systems passing through the North Pacific basin will maintain a broad ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands for at least the next week. This ridge strength and position will maintain moderate to locally strong easterly trade winds across our area, with only subtle day to day wind speed changes through next weekend.

A narrow upper level trough with several embedded upper lows will remain anchored across the area, keeping periods of trade wind showers in the forecast for the foreseeable future. These passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours.

Short Term Update: Radar shows only isolated showers over the windward and mountain areas, with skies a bit less cloudy than yesterday this time. This is consistent with drier air that has moved in with the trade winds overnight. Wind speeds are also down compared to yesterday, and are expected to stay a bit below advisory levels today.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Sunday afternoon:  Satellite images this morning continues to show bands of unsettled cumulus clouds drifting into the islands on the easterly trade winds. Rainfall amounts will remain on the lighter side as each band of showers passes quickly through the island chain. Upper level troughing and lows embedded within this narrow upper trough will push back on the broad downward moving subsidence from the ridge north of the region, lifting temperature inversion heights into the 6,000 to 8,000 foot range over the next se7-days. A wetter than normal to start to our summer dry season.

Brief passing showers will develop over the islands into next weekend, with day to day changes in easterly trade wind speeds. Generally speaking, look for moderate to locally strong trade winds to continue to blow across the Hawaiian Islands into the foreseeable future.

Looking into the extended range model solutions there are some early hints at an unstable cloud band, the remnants of a dissipated East Pacific cold front, moving through the islands next Saturday. Additional lift for these unstable clouds along this band will be supported from a weak upper level low over the islands. The combination of low level instability and weak upper level forcing may increase cloud cover and shower activity statewide. Enhanced rainfall amounts in this pattern will remain on the lighter side, as any shower bands will be moving through the islands fairly swiftly. The best chances for rain next weekend will fall between the Saturday evening to early Sunday morning time periods. Stay tuned as these wet weather impacts for next weekend will likely evolve as the forecast time period grows shorter.


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 Sunday morning:  Strong easterly trades will persist through tonight, then ease into the fresh to strong category through the first half of the week, as the ridge weakens north of the state. This will allow the Small Craft Advisory to continue for all waters through tonight, then for the typically windier waters and channels from Monday through much of the week.

Surf along south facing shores will remain at similar levels, before gradually lowering Monday as a medium-period south swell lingers. This is supported by observations at the 51002 buoy south of the islands, which depict a steady trend with peak energy centered around the 15-second band. A fresh long-period south swell will arrive Tuesday, then build to near seasonal average through mid-week before slowly easing Thursday.

Looking ahead to later in the week, a more significant long-period south-southwest swell is expected due to a storm-force low currently located southeast of New Zealand. Satellite data shows a large fetch of 40 to 50 knot winds generating seas of 35 to just over 40 feet, focused toward Hawaii. Expect surf to begin building locally Friday with 20+ second forerunners, then peak above advisory levels next weekend.

Surf along exposed north and west facing shores will hold before lowering Monday, as a small north-northwest swell moves through. This is supported by observations at the NDBC 51001 buoy northwest of the islands, which depict a steady trend with peak energy centered around the 13-second band. Late-season North Pacific activity will continue this week, due to a storm- force low currently located around 2000 nautical miles northwest of the state, and tracking northeastward toward the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Although the bulk of the energy will remain focused northeast of the islands, expect long-period forerunners to arrive Tuesday, with this source gradually building down the island chain thereafter. Above-average surf is likely by daybreak Wednesday near the peak before lowering Thursday.

Surf along east facing shores will remain rough through Tuesday, then gradually lower by mid-week as the trades ease slightly.

 

Hamoa Beach, Maui


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:  The Fog is Alive: Researchers Discover Bacteria in Fog Droplets Clear Toxins From Air

What if fog isn’t just misty air, but a living ecosystem?

This question hung over cloud researcher Thi Thuong Thuong Cao. As a PhD student at Arizona State University, her curiosity led her from knocking on the doors of microbiologists and chemists, to sampling fog before sunrise in Pennsylvania, to hours of peering through a lab’s microscope. And she found her answer.

Her ASU research team found that bacteria floating in tiny fog droplets are alive, growing and — quite helpfully — breaking down pollutants in the air.

Read More at: Arizona State University

A foggy field in Pennsylvania has a little secret — its suspended water droplets form a habitat for helpful bacteria that eat air toxins.