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

 

The latest update to this website was at 1103am Friday morning HST


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

0.50  Waiakoali, Kauai 
0.88  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.07  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.08  Lanai AP, Lanai
0.38  West Wailuaiki, Maui
1.28  Honaunau, Big Island


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

20  Port Allen, Kauai – E
32  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ENE
27  Makapulapai, Molokai – ESE 
m   Lanai – missing
28  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
25  Kawaihae Rd, 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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  Tropical Storm 14E (Norbert) will be traveling west…eventually into our central Pacific

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Variable clouds across the state…and over the offshore waters 

 

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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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Aloha Friday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

444am, it’s clear here at my place. My low temperature here in upper Kula was 52 degrees, relative humidity 82%…and calm winds

1105am, the clear skies earlier this morning have given way to sunny to partly sunny conditions in many areas here on Maui. I have enough confidence in sunshine, or at least lack of showers for the time being, that I washed my clothes and have hung them on the line to dry.

Wondering whether this autumn and winter will be drier or wetter than normal here in Hawaii? Well, it looks like it could be markedly drier than normal. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be any cold fronts or upper level lows, that will bring me some good moisture, just fewer than we’d likely prefer.

 

Tropical Storm 14E (Norbert) remains active far east 

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time of arrival graphic

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Friday morning:  A drier and less humid trade wind flow will continue to fill in over the state today. Shower activity will be focused across windward areas, and will become less frequent, though leeward Big Island may still experience scattered briefly heavy showers in the afternoon. A tropical disturbance moving within the trade winds may bring increased humidity and showers again late next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Short Term Update: A number of noteworthy features on satellite imagery. To the northwest, a mid-level trough has triggered a convective flare-up, as it feasts on the remnants of Lowell. The lingering band of tropical moisture that has supplied the islands with humid conditions and spotty afternoon showers eased west of the islands overnight, and dew points will fall more uniformly into the mid to upper 60’s during the next 24 hours, as moderate trades carry a drier airmass into the area. The delayed arrival of the airmass over leeward Big Island means today’s afternoon convection may yet provide a localized threat for nuisance flooding, over downslope areas of the North and South Kona Districts similar to yesterday.

Located about 1000 miles south-southeast of Hilo, a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms persists. NHC offers a 20% chance of tropical development with this activity, as it lifts toward the islands early next week. Regardless of the low probability of development, enhanced moisture, and a modest boost in trade winds, will accompany this feature as it lifts out of the deep tropics toward the islands early next week. The GFS model suggest that very humid conditions, characterized by mid-70’s dew points during the middle of next week look appropriate, and will provide rich low-level moisture in support of enhanced trade wind shower coverage.

Eyes remain fixed on Tropical Storm Norbert, 2000 miles east-southeast of Hilo, as it slowly advances westward at 14 mph. Any potential arrival in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands is at least 10 days away. Forecast uncertainty is characteristically high at that lead time, and it will be several days before confidence in impacts, or lack thereof, improves.

Weather Narrative…as of Friday morning: A drier air mass is slowly developing over the state on moderate trade winds. The bulk of a diffuse band of moisture has moved west of the islands, but some moisture remains hung up on Big Island and Kauai. Overnight, generally less than a quarter of an inch of rainfall has been measured on windward areas of these islands, and showers remained rather active over the South Kona District of the Big Island. Little rainfall occurred on windward Oahu and Maui County overnight, and leeward areas of these islands have been dry.

Expect a drier and less humid day over most of the island chain today. Moderate trade winds will push the bulk of the deeper moisture west of the islands, allowing leeward dew points to fall into the mid 60’s and bringing relief from high humidity of the past several days. Typical light to moderate scattered showers are expected over windward areas, but rainfall accumulation will be low. Spotty afternoon showers, some briefly heavy cannot be ruled out on leeward Big Island, and to a lesser degree on leeward Kauai.

Moderate trade winds will bring rather typical trade wind weather this weekend through early next week. A weak upper-level trough will linger over the area, keeping modest instability and a weak inversion over the state. As a result, there will be a chance of a few heavy showers over the Kona slopes of Big Island each afternoon and evening.

A tropical disturbance moving within the trade winds may bring increased humidity and showers again late Tuesday or Wednesday. Differences in timing and placement of this moisture persist between the GFS and ECMWF models, which is keeping the details elusive at this point. This moisture could persist through Thursday of next week. Beyond that, there is significant uncertainty regarding the future location and timing of east Pacific Tropical Storm Norbert, which may be near the islands late in the week.

Fire Weather:  Fire weather risk will remain low the next several days due light to moderate winds and the effects of recent rainfall, even as afternoon relative humidity falls below 50 percent over many leeward areas. Inversion heights are expected to remain elevated or weak through 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 Map / Looping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Conditions…as of Friday morning: Moderate to locally fresh trade winds are expected for the next few days, as a weak N-S oriented trough has moved west of Kauai. A couple of troughs far northeast and southeast will keep a weak pressure gradient across the state through the weekend. The trough to the southeast will near the state Saturday, allowing winds to shift out of the northeast through early next week.

A moderate mid-period south swell will continue to steadily decline over the next few days with below average surf expected during the weekend. Background southerly swells will keep surf from going flat into early next week. A gale low just east of Australia will shift east of New Zealand over the next couple of days, into a more favorable position for more consistent south swells for Hawaii late next week. Forerunners from the captured fetch from this system could start trickling in by mid-week, and gradually build through the rest of the week into next weekend, generating above average surf.

On east facing shores expect seasonal average surf that was caused by former tropical cyclones, to gradually fade to below average by Saturday, and hold into early next week as trades locally and upstream remain disrupted.

Tiny surf along north facing shores as the swell from Lowell continues to decline.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, September 10, 2026 – 118 degrees at Tecopa, CA


>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, September 10, 2026 – 20 degrees at Peter Sinks, UT

 

Hawaiian Vibes


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 14E (Norbert)…is located about 1935 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii

NORBERT CONTINUES TO MOVE WESTWARD

According to the NHC advisory number 9…

Norbert is moving toward the west near 14 mph, and is expected to turn toward the west-northwest over the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds are near 65 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Norbert could become a hurricane this weekend. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 105 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 996 mb (29.42 inches).

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

 

>>> Central and Western East Pacific

Invest 97E

Showers and thunderstorms are becoming better organized in association with a broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles southwest of the southwestern coast of Mexico. Gradual development of this system is likely, and a tropical depression is expected to form late this weekend or early next week while it moves generally west-northwestward to westward over the central and western portions of the East Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…40 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

Central North Pacific

>>> Well southeast of the Hawaiian Islands:

Disorganized showers and thunderstorms located several hundred miles to the southeast of the Hawaiian Islands are associated with a broad trough of low pressure. Some gradual development of this system is possible over the next few days while it moves generally northward and then meanders to the southeast of the Hawaiian Islands.

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

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

>>> There’s an area of disturbed weather being referred to as Invest 98W, which is located approximately 251 NM southeast of Da Nang, Vietnam

 

Southwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones

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Here’s the link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)



Interesting:  Sea-Level Rise Could Squeeze Shorebirds Out of Critical Coastal Habitat, Researchers Find

As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands around the world are expected to shrink – and researchers at the University of British Columbia have found this could put the world’s shorebirds and their critical habitat at risk.

The first global systematic review of its kind, published in Biodiversity and Conservation, examined the impacts of rising sea levels on 29 species of shorebirds, including plovers, sandpipers and oystercatchers. The review found rising seas are expected to have predominantly negative impacts on shorebird habitat and populations, while human infrastructure could make the problem worse by preventing coastal wetlands from moving inland.

“As sea levels rise, coastal wetlands need space to retreat, but many of the places where shorebirds depend on these habitats are already constrained by dykes, roads and other development,” said lead author Jennifer Magel, a PhD student at the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at UBC. “If we continue to develop our coastlines without considering where these wetlands can go, we risk losing important shorebird habitat.”

The researchers reviewed 37 studies that included data on the effects of sea level rise on shorebirds: 78 per cent found negative impacts on habitat, while 89 per cent found negative impacts on shorebird populations or individual birds.

Read More: University of British Columbia

Image: Western Sandpipers in flight over Roberts Bank in the Fraser River Estuary during migration