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

 

The last update to this website was Thursday afternoon at 521pm HST


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

1.05  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.52  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.23  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.09  Lanai City, Lanai
1.59  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.93  Pahoa, Big Island


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

27  Lihue, Kauai – NE
32  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – NE 
30  Makapulapai, Molokai – ESE
27  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
37  Na Kula, Maui – ESE
25  South Point, 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.

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Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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Lots of thunderstorms in the deeper tropics…cold fronts far northwest 

 

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Low clouds arriving on the trade winds…high clouds arriving from the west 

 

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Showers locally 

 

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

It was clear with some streaky high cirrus clouds, as well as low clouds along the windward sides this morning here in Maui County, with a low temperature at my place a chilly 47.5 degrees. The streaky high cirrus clouds lit up a very pretty pink color at sunrise…just like yesterday!

1230pm, I’m just back from a quick trip downtown to Kahului, where I had a Dermatology appoint…which I’m very pleased to report that the doctor found no skin cancer. The temperature downtown was 80 degrees and cloudy, and while driving home here to Kula, I had several light showers that I passed through…mostly around Pukalani. Here in upper Kula early this afternoon it’s very cloudy, and it feels like it could get showery this afternoon…we’ll see.

113pm, cloudy with a light shower here at my place in upper Kula.

441pm, it’s been a very cloudy and off and on wet afternoon, with cool temperatures as a result, at least here at my place.


>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, May 14, 2026 – 110 degrees at Rio Grande Village, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, May 14, 2026 – 15 degrees near Mackay, ID

 

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

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Thursday afternoon:  Breezy trade winds will persist into this evening, with showers favoring windward and mountain areas. An upper level disturbance will briefly move over the state on Friday, bringing the threat of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms over select areas. While widespread heavy rain is not anticipated, pockets of heavy rain with some flooding impacts will be possible. Wetter than normal conditions will likely persist through the weekend, especially over windward and mountain areas, where scattered showers are expected.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Thursday afternoon:  High pressure far north of the state continues to maintain breezy trade winds across the region, with clouds and showers focusing primarily over windward and mountain areas…although not exclusively. These locally breezy trades will continue into the evening hours, but are anticipated to weaken to more moderate levels overnight.

An upper level low that can currently be seen on water vapor imagery entering the northern offshore waters,  is expected to continue digging southward towards the island chain tonight. Latest global guidance remains in good agreement that this upper low will arrive near Kauai in the pre-dawn hours Friday morning, then move over the Garden Isle during the day. This will lead to increasing instability over the state, and the strength of the upper level low will induce a surface trough, serving as a trigger for heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms.

Given that the upper low is expected to be centered over Kauai at its closest pass, the best forcing is expected to be over Oahu and parts of Maui County by Friday afternoon. Some guidance is hinting at the possibility of a plume of moisture developing from Molokai towards Oahu from late morning into the afternoon. Should this occur, there is potential for heavy rain to train over portions of Oahu, which could lead to flooding concerns.

There likely will be heavy rain over some locations, and given lighter low-level winds, showers could be slow moving with the potential for anchoring on island terrain. However, confidence isn’t high enough at this point for a Flood Watch, but it is certainly worth keeping an eye on for flooding impacts. At this time, there continues to be the heavy rain and thunderstorm mentions in the forecast.

This weekend, the upper level low will begin to drift further away from the state, which should decrease the threat of thunderstorms. While the instability decreases over the weekend, low level moisture will increase from the southeast, with precipitable water values approaching 2 inches by late Saturday over windward Big Island. Periods of heavy rain will be possible over windward and southeast Big Island this weekend, with some enhanced showers possible elsewhere across the state. By next week, a more typical trade wind pattern looks to return to the region.


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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 Thursday afternoon:  High pressure far north of the islands will maintain locally strong trades before the pattern changes. An upper level low is inducing a surface trough just to the north of Kauai and as it moves south, it will cause the winds to veer east-southeast and weaken to moderate to fresh speeds Friday into the weekend. The Small Craft Advisory (SCA) has been extended for the windier zones of Maui County and the Big Island through 6am Friday morning. The upper level disturbance will bring the threat of heavy rain and isolated thunderstorms to the island chain on Friday.

A new small to moderate, long period, NW to NNW (320 degree to 330 degree) swell will likely peak and produce above average surf along north facing shores. Observations at buoy 51001 showed this swell peaked, thus this swell should gradually fade tonight into the weekend.

A mix of small, medium to long period, south swells will maintain small surf along south facing shores into the weekend. A series of gales initially passing south of New Zealand and now setting up to its east, which should send a series of small south swells to the Hawaiian Islands throughout next week. Surf should rise to near the summer average around Sunday and hold through the upcoming week. Meanwhile, along east facing shores, locally strong trades will maintain rough and choppy surf. A slight decrease of wind swell is expected Friday into the weekend, as the trades weaken to moderate to locally fresh speeds.

Tides peak around 2.5 feet this weekend. Combined with ongoing trades and a modest boost in south swell, water levels will peak around 3.0 feet late this weekend into early next week. Minor overwash of low lying coastal areas will be possible during the afternoon high tides at this time.

 

 

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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 Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the National Hurricane Center (NHC)

 

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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:  A Critical Atlantic Ocean Current Shows Two-Decade Slowdown, Study Finds

A major Atlantic Ocean current system that helps regulate Earth’s climate has been slowing for nearly two decades across a wide stretch of ocean, according to new research—potentially reshaping weather patterns across the globe.

The findings from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science-led research team offer some of the clearest direct observational evidence yet that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is weakening, helping scientists refine their understanding of ongoing climate changes and improve projections of future impacts.

“A weaker AMOC can shift weather patterns, potentially leading to more extreme storms, changes in rainfall, or colder winters in some regions,” said Shane Elipot, a senior author of the study and physical oceanographer at the Rosenstiel School. “It can also influence sea-level rise along coastlines, affecting communities and infrastructure.”

The researchers analyzed long-term data from four ocean monitoring arrays along the western boundary of the North Atlantic, spanning the tropics to higher latitudes. Using seafloor-anchored instruments that continuously record pressure, temperature, density, and currents, the team applied a consistent approach across all sites—using changes in bottom pressure to estimate deep ocean flow below about 1,000 meters. Comparing these measurements over time and across locations allowed them to identify long-term trends in the strength of the overturning circulation.

Read More: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science