Glenn James
Hawaii Weather Today
Founder and maintainer for 30 years 

 

The latest update to this website was at 603pm Saturday (HST)

 

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

0.06  Kilohana, Kauai
0.02  Kaala, Oahu
0.00  Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.02  West Wailuaiki, Maui
0.13  Waiaha Stream, Big Island

The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) as of Saturday evening :

24  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
28  Kuaokala, Oahu – NNE
27  Molokai AP , Molokai – NE
22  Lanai 1,  Lanai – NE
29  Na Kula, Maui – SE
30  Kealakomo, Big Island – NE

Hawaii’s Mountains – Here’s a link to the live webcams on the summit of our tallest mountain Mauna Kea (~13,800 feet high) on the Big Island of Hawaii, and atop the Haleakala Crater (~10,023 feet) 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

The high clouds clipping the Big Island

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20260941740-20260950130-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Low clouds arriving along the windward sides / higher level clouds arriving from the west

 

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…very few 

 

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 here in Corte Madera, Marin County, California on a working vacation.

418am Hawaii time, I’m here at my friend Linda’s house. It’s clear, with a 43.5 degree low. BTW, when I say Hawaii time, it is 3-hours later here in California.

923am Hawaii time, it’s another beautifully sunny day here in northern California. I take the Marin Airporter to the San Francisco AP soon, from there I fly up to Redmond/Bend, Oregon…for the next part of my working vacation. Thus, there will be a lapse in my updates today, until I can set up my laptop early this evening.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Saturday, April 4, 2026 – 96 degrees at La Puerta, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Saturday, April 4, 2026 – minus 6 degrees at Peter Sinks, UT

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of 3pm Saturday: Moderate trades focus showers windward and mountains through the weekend. A strengthening low then brings potential for heavy rain to the islands beginning Tuesday or Wednesday. Given recent flood events and soils that remain only partially recovered, the potential for runoff and flash flooding impacts may increase rapidly.

 

>>> Please note: LOW PRESSURE EXPECTED TO BRING FLOODING IMPACTS TO THE STATE NEXT WEEK…

Southerly winds associated with low pressure developing northwest of the islands will draw a very moist tropical airmass northward early next week. This will bring periods of heavy rain and a risk of flash flooding. The most likely period for significant impacts is Wednesday night through Thursday night. However, afternoon shower development over island interiors on Tuesday may be heavy as well.

The duration of flooding potential remains less certain than usual as deep moisture remains over the state into the middle of April leading to potential for additional waves of heavy rain next weekend or beyond. Now would be a good time to clear storm drains, culverts, and other drainage areas of debris to help reduce localized flooding.

The extent of any potential flooding threat will depend upon how the system evolves, and how quickly it moves through the region. Also note that this weather system, and its southerly winds, also coincide with the window for the next potential episode of the Kilauea eruption (April 6-14) provided by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

 

>>> Interesting Web blog: Mauka Showers…Is El Niño on Our Summer Bingo Card?

 

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of 3pm Saturday: Today through Monday. Moderate trades focus showers windward and mountains. A zonally oriented subtropical jet stream (STJ) has sagged south allowing high clouds to clear. The STJ will get a slight bump north again Sunday allowing high clouds to return. Benign stable trade wind weather through Monday. Tuesday…Potent trough of interest is seen over Japan on water vapor imagery. The existing pattern will serve as a guide, allowing this fast-moving trough to deepen northwest of the islands early next week.

The first sign of its arrival will be upstream surface pressure falls, that will cause winds to weaken and veer to southeasterly Monday night into Tuesday. Combined with blocked flow in the shadow of the Big Islands, Tuesday will be favorable for sea breeze development. Steadily rising precipitable water values during this time, as tropical moisture is drawn north, combined with ample mid-level forcing during mid-day, will set the stage for potentially heavy afternoon showers over island interiors.

There will be more clarity on this potential as this period enters beter modeling window, during the next couple of days. This first wave will be on its way out by late Tuesday, its primary role serving to prime the local atmosphere by drawing precipitable moisture approaching 2.00″ northward. Any rain with this initial push of moisture is most likely to be stratiform in nature and not particularly heavy. Wednesday through Thursday night… Similar evolution of a trailing wave is expected, this time achieving better phasing with mid- latitude energy, allowing pressure falls to evolve into organized low pressure centered NW of the islands.

With deep moisture in place and continuing to increase, mid-level forcing steadily increases Wednesday into late Thursday. With outstanding jet stream support by Wednesday night, the Wed-Thurs time period still appears to be the the target period for greatest flooding potential. At this time, guidance generally favors the western end of the state, but the entire state is within the margin of error at this lead time, and flooding may still impact any/multiple islands. Of note, recent solutions have converged on a consensus for a stronger low developing in closer proximity to the islands. This will result in elevated potential for downsloping winds most likely on Thursday. While the wind field is not overly strong, southerly winds in excess of 30 kts may be sufficient to generate Wind Advisory level gusts, in favored locales located N/NE of steep terrain.

Friday onward. The north central Pacific will remain a favored area for deep troughing through mid-April. At the same time, the moisture band associated with next week`s low will likely remain in place over the islands for some time. This raises the potential for additional waves of heavy rain to develop next weekend or beyond. The duration/ending time of this particular event is therefore much less certain than usual. Regardless of the precise evolution, conditions remain a significant concern.

The islands have experienced significant flash flood events in recent weeks, and despite several days of drier trade wind weather, soils remain vulnerable in many areas. As a result, any period of heavy rainfall next week may quickly lead to enhanced runoff, renewed rises in streams and reservoirs, and localized flash flooding concerns. Also worth noting that while not not a kona low, the difference is largely academic, and does not change the expectation for flooding impacts.

 

Here’s a near real-time Wind Profile of the Pacific Ocean – Zoom Earth – along with a Closer View of the islands / Vog map animation / 8-Day Precipitation model

https://www.weather.gov/images/hfo/graphics/npac.gif 

 

Hawaii’s Marine Environment…as of 3pm Saturday: Moderate to locally fresh ENE trades ease through Sunday as high pressure north of the area advances east. By Monday a cold front will approach the region from the northwest and a trough will move up from the south. As a result, winds will veer to ESE. Tuesday through the remainder of the week, southeast to south winds will prevail and could become strong toward the later half of the week. These features will be driven by an upper level trough which may generate isolated thunderstorms over the coastal waters by the middle to latter half of next week.

Surf along north shores remains small, as a small, medium period WNW (310 degree) energy fills in. Tonight into Sunday, small, medium-period northwest (330-340 degree) energy will also build. These swells will bump surf slightly upward for north and west shores. Monday night through Wednesday, a moderate, medium-period WNW (310 degree) swell will fill in, and increase surf to just below the advisory threshold. This swell will linger and gradually decline through the latter half of the week.

Along south shores, expect minor pulses from the South Pacific to provide periods of small surf through the weekend, until a larger, long-period south swell fills in Monday and lasts through the week. Strengthening southerly winds will lead to choppy conditions by mid-week.

East shores will subside as trades weaken and will remain small as winds veer to southeast. By the middle of next week, a small, medium period swell will provide a bump to surf.



World-wide Tropical Cyclone Activity

 

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

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

 

Northeastern Pacific:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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

North 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…is located approximately 717 NM northeast of Cairns, Australia

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/30P_040000sair.jpg

 

North Indian Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

 

South Indian Ocean: 

Tropical Cyclone 29S (Indusa)…is located approximately 726 NM east of Port Louis, Mauritius

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/29S_040600sair.jpg

 

Arabian Sea:  There are no active tropical cyclones

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

 

>>> Here’s a link to the Pacific Disaster Center’s (PDC Global) Weather Wall website

 

Interesting: The 2026 Southwest U.S. heat wave was one of the six most astonishing weather events of the century

The mind-blowing heat wave that gripped the southwest half of the United States in late March 2026 joins our semi-subjective top-six list of the meteorologically stunning extreme events this century that have most astonished us. Below is our list, including how the March 2026 mega-event compares to an earlier round of March climate madness.

The role of climate change

We know that climate change is injecting more heat into the atmosphere and ocean system. Heat is energy, which means there is more energy to power extreme weather events — particularly heat waves, droughts, and storms — that would have been virtually impossible in the 20th century.

Since climate change is also fundamentally disrupting atmospheric circulation patterns, we now have mega-unprecedented extreme events occurring with regularity. These circulation changes allow the biggest regional and local heat extremes to intensify by a much larger margin than the roughly 1.4°C increase in average global temperature since pre-industrial times.

Read more at: Yale Climate Connections