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

 

The latest update to this website was at 8am Thursday HST


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

1.97  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.41  Schofield East, Oahu
0.62  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
2.04  Puu Kukui, Maui
2.63  Piihonua, Big Island


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

30  Lihue, Kauai – NE
43  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
39  Molokai AP, Molokai – NE 
37  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
44  Na Kula, Maui – ENE
50  Puulua, 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

Cold front far northwest…some thunderstorms in the deeper tropics to our south 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20261410630-20261411420-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif

Variably cloudy, mostly low clouds along the windward sides

 

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 

 

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

It’s mostly clear, although with considerable low clouds along the windward sides with some showers here in Maui County, with calm winds at my place, and with a low of 53.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 81%


>>> Highest Temperature Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – 100 degrees near Chatsworth, NJ
>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, May 21, 2026 – 17 degrees at Foxpark, WY

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Thursday morning:  Trade winds will steadily strengthen today, and a wind advisory remains in effect for areas of Maui County and Big Island through tonight. Passing showers will continue to move in on breezy to windy trade winds through next week. As usual, these showers will be most frequent during the nights and early morning hours across windward and mountain areas.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Thursday morning:  Radar and satellite imagery shows scattered showers riding in with the breezy to windy trade winds mainly over windward and mountain areas. Rainfall totals over the past 24 hours have varied quite a bit, with amounts of up to 1 to 2 inches at the wettest areas. Atmospheric soundings from Lihue and Hilo continues to show an elevated inversion, which explains the higher rainfall amounts.

As we go through the day today and into tonight, drier air aloft should really fill in tonight, which will cause the trade wind inversion to strengthen and lower. This will result in the winds becoming more gusty later this afternoon into tonight. Wind gusts in the 50 mph range has been measured at the windier areas of Maui County and the Big Island, where a Wind Advisory is in effect through tonight. The Wind Advisory may have to be extended through Friday. While there isn’t a Wind Advisory for Oahu, we could see wind gusts near advisory thresholds later this afternoon into tonight for select valleys downwind of terrain such as Manoa Valley.

While the drier air aloft should help lower rainfall amounts later tonight, strong lifting over the mountains from the windy trade winds, will continue to produce scattered showers over windward and mountain areas.

For the weekend, windy conditions will likely continue through Saturday. Trade winds could drop a notch on Sunday, but nonetheless breezy to strong trades will likely continue through early next week. Passing showers will continue to ride in with the strong trades especially during the night and early morning hours. Shower coverage could slightly increase towards the first half of next week, as we see a subtle increase of low level moisture.


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 Thursday morning: The strong high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands will maintain easterly trade winds in the strong to gale range through Friday morning. A Gale Warning remains in effect for the Alenuihaha and Pailolo Channels, and Maalaea Bay and a Small Craft Advisory (SCA) for all remaining island waters. Expect SCA to continue into the first half of next week.

Small, short to medium period, north-northwest (330 degree) swell energy will decline today. The next small north-northwest (330 degree) swell will move into the Hawaii area on Saturday, increasing surf heights along north and west-facing shores through the weekend.

A series of small, long-period, south swells will support near- average surf along south-facing shores over the next several days. Meanwhile, strengthening trades will maintain elevated surf along east-facing shores into next week. Surf heights could approach advisory levels later today along east facing shores.

 

Hawaii Wind Patterns Explained: Trade Winds & Kona Winds - Hawaii Real Estate Market & Trends | Hawaii Life


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:  A Sticky Solution to a Pesky Agricultural Problem

A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.

The new solution dramatically improves how pesticides stick to plant leaves – even in wind and rain – minimizing splash and runoff that contribute to costly waste and environmental contamination.

In early field trials in cabbage plots with an industrial partner in Singapore, the formulation outperformed conventional delivery systems, which use chemicals and solvents to help droplets stick to leaves, by providing better pest control with less pesticide.

Read More: University of Waterloo