Glenn James
Hawaii Weather Today
Founder and maintainer for 30 years


The latest update to this website was at 1017am Wednesday


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

0.21  N Wailua Ditch, Kauai
1.46  Hawaii Kai GC, Oahu
0.16  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.10  Lanai City, Lanai
8.47  Hana AP, Maui
16.25  Kealakomo, Big Island!


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

09  Lawai, Kauai – NNE
12  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – SSE
15  Makaena, Molokai – ESE
20  Lanai 1,  Lanai – SE
17  Kula 1, Maui – SSE
18  Kealakomo, 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.

https://weather.gc.ca/data/satellite/goes_gwdisk11_1070_100.jpg

Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES18-TPW-13-900x540.gif
A cold front northwest 


https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20260981200-20260981950-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Developing cumulus and thunderstorms in the vicinity

 

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

Showers locally…some heavy

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

Please open this link to see details on the current Watches, Warnings and Advisories noted above




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Wednesday comments:  I’m here in Bend, Oregon on a working vacation.

332am Hawaii time, I’m here at my friend Bob’s house. It’s clear with high cirrus clouds, with a 36degree low. BTW, when I say Hawaii time, it is 3-hours later here in Oregon.

Bob and I have this last full day here in Bend, before we drive up to Vancouver, BC, Canada tomorrow. We rented a place there for a week, and apparently it has a great view of the surrounding area…I’m sure it will be big fun to visit there!

 

>>> Highest Temperature Tuesday, April 7, 2026 – 99 degrees at Death Valley, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Wednesday, April 8, 2026 – minus 2 degrees at Mount Washington, NH

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of 404am Tuesday: Deepening low pressure to the west of the islands will draw up tropical moisture from the south through the week. This will lead to periods of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and an increased flooding risk. Strong and gusty south to southeasterly winds are also expected Thursday and Friday. Unsettled conditions could continue through the weekend and next week as surface moisture and instability lingers.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of 404am Tuesday: Current satellite imagery shows an area of low pressure beginning to develop west of the islands. A potent upper level trough to the northwest is currently moving southeast and will enhance the surface trough to the west through the next few days. Heavy showers and thunderstorms can be seen mostly around east Maui and southeast Big Island, as well as the waters south of Maui.

South to southeast winds will strengthen today, pulling deep tropical moisture northward over the islands, with precipitable water values around 2.00″. An upper level trough will also move closer to the state and enhance large-scale lift. As a result, widespread heavy rain is expected to gradually increase through the day statewide. A Flood Watch is in place for all islands from this morning through Friday afternoon. A Winter Weather Advisory is also in effect this morning for a combination of freezing rain and snow on the summits of the Big Island above 12,500 feet, lasting through Friday morning.

There has been increasing focus on the need for a Wind Advisory or a High Wind Watch beginning tonight as southerly winds begin to ramp up. These winds will be especially strong in and around heavier showers and thunderstorms, and in the vicinity of mountain ranges where downsloping gusts over northern and windward slopes can occur. Severe wind gusts (60+ mph) look increasingly likely with latest high resolution model runs. Late tonight through Thursday morning could see advisory level winds over Kauai and Oahu (30-39 mph) and then possibly high wind warning levels (40+ mph) by Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

Thursday night through Friday night. Intense upper-level forcing develops. The heavy rain surges eastward Thursday night bringing the heaviest rainfall to Kauai late Thursday night into early Friday, Oahu during the first half of Friday, and Maui County and the Big Island during the second half of Friday.

High-end advisory winds are likely on the Big Island Summits and possibly Haleakala Summit on Maui Thursday night through Friday. Snow potential on the Big Island Summits will be limited by marginal temperatures.

Saturday onward. The resident band of tropical moisture will likely linger over the islands for the foreseeable future, although a short break in rain is anticipated by Saturday as drier air briefly moves in. More periods of rain are possible through the remainder of the weekend into next week, as more upper level disturbances track over the state. This may yield periods of localized heavy rain, but that remains to be seen.

 

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/


Marine Environmental Conditions: South to southeast winds are expected to steadily increase late today into Thursday, as a low pressure system develops just west of the state. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is now in effect for the waters around the Big Island, and the SCA will expand in coverage tonight as the winds continue to strengthen. Showers, some locally heavy, will be possible through Friday as a result of the southerly winds bringing tropical moisture to the north over the islands.

As the low pressure system further deepens Thursday into Friday, we will likely see a greater coverage of thunderstorms and winds are expected to increase to gale force across many coastal waters. A Gale Watch has been issued starting Thursday for the waters around Kauai and Oahu. Depending on how the low pressure system evolves, Gale force winds could be possible across all Hawaiian Waters around Thursday night. Very rough boating conditions are expected late Thursday into Friday as seas quickly rise in response to the strong to gale force southerly winds.

The current south-southwest swell continued to fill in and latest near-shore buoys are at around 4 feet 17 to 18 seconds this morning. We should see this swell continue to fill in a bit more throughout the day and slowly drop tonight through the rest of the week. A High Surf Advisory has is in effect for all south facing shores of the Hawaiian Islands through tonight.

Along north facing shores, a new moderate long-period northwest (310-320 degree) swell continues to fill in and will steadily rise throughout the day. This swell should peak just below advisory thresholds later today. A smaller short-period northwest swell is expected over the weekend into early next week.

As the long-period south swell declines on Thursday, strong to gale force southerly winds are expected to develop on Thursday and strengthen even further Thursday night into Friday. This increase of southerly winds will bring a rapid increase of short-period energy Thursday into Friday and will once again bring surf heights above the advisory thresholds for south facing shores. Large disorganized surf is expected along many south facing shores Thursday into Friday.

Surf along east facing shores could see an increase later this week due to the strengthening southeasterly winds especially for southeast exposures.

 

Hilo Weather

 Inclement weather on tap


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 cyclones

>>> Southwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 30P (Maila)…is located approximately 584 NM south of Kapingamarangi

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/30P_080000sair.jpg

 

Tropical Cyclone 31P (Vaianu)…is located approximately 1079 NM north of Wellington, New Zealand

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/30P_081200sair.jpg

 

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



Interesting: New Study Shows Rapid Hormonal Rise in Honey Bees Due to Heat Shock is Mitigated by Social Conditions

A recent study shows that heat causes a sharp hormonal spike in isolated honey bees, but social interactions and a key pheromone help prevent this stress response, revealing how bees stay resilient in a warming world.

Heat can change a honey bee’s hormone levels, but only if the bee is alone. New research from MSU entomologist Zachary Huang shows that isolated honey bees experience a rapid hormonal rise when exposed to high temperatures, while bees kept in groups stay stable. The discovery highlights how social conditions and chemical signals shape bees’ ability to withstand environmental stress.

To test this, Huang and collaborator Thomas Rachman, a high school student when the experiments were conducted, exposed bees to one hour of heat at 40°C. They compared the effects of heat on solitary bees and on groups of 25, measuring how much juvenile hormone (JH) each produced under the same conditions. Juvenile hormones are present in all insects and are named for their role in keeping larvae “juvenile,” preventing them from molting into adults. In adult honey bees, however, JH plays another role. It also helps pace behavioral shifts, with nurse bees showing lower levels of the hormone and foragers showing the highest levels.

Read More at: Michigan State University