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

 

The latest update to this website was at 1226pm Tuesday afternoon HST


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

0.93  Kilohana, Kauai
0.21  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.87  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
2.49  Puu Kukui, Maui
2.86  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


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

24  Port Allen, Kauai – NE
31  Kuaokala, Oahu – SSW 
31  Molokai AP, Molokai – NE
m   Lanai – missing
44  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
44  Waikoloa 2, Big Island – NE


Hawaii’s MountainsHere’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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Hurricane Lowell southeast of Hawaii…with Hurricane Karina far east

 

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 Variable low clouds across the state…high clouds in the vicinity 

 

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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




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Hawaii Weather Narrative
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Glenn’s Tuesday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

503am, it’s clear here at my place here in Kula with a low temperature of 56 degrees, and the relative humidity is 80%

 

We continue to be in the heart of our hurricane season, so that we need to keep our eyes peeled for systems taking aim on our Hawaiian Islands through the next three months…through the end of November.

As such, the NHC has advisories active on two tropical cyclones, both of which will work their way into our central Pacific…(Lowell is already in our central Pacific)

This first TC is Hurricane Lowell, with the current forecast track showing Lowell staying to the south of the islands. The other system, Major Category 4 Hurricane Karina, may move by just to the northeast and north…there’s still a degree of uncertainty.

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Tuesday afternoon: Breezy trade winds today will become strong and gusty as early as tomorrow afternoon. Showers will generally favor windward and mauka areas, particularly during the overnight through early morning hours each day. Hurricane Lowell is about 535 miles southeast of the Big Island, and is forecast to pass south of the Big Island late Wednesday into Thursday. Winds are expected to remain strong and gusty through Friday as Lowell passes south of the islands. The forecast remains uncertain for Labor Day weekend, with the potential for Lowell and Karina being in the the vicinity of the state.

Short Term Update: Trade wind showers were moving west across windward and mauka areas of most islands, with rainfall amounts from a few hundredths to a few tenths of an inch. Trades are expected to gradually increase in speed. They may reach advisory level Wednesday afternoon in the typical windy spots. Otherwise, all eyes remain glued to the hurricanes in the area. Lowell and Karina`s current forecast tracks from the NHC keep them away from the state for the next 5-days, but there is significant uncertainty in the forecast after that.

Models continue to depict Lowell turning north after it moves west of the state. The timing of that turn is a huge question mark at this time. The majority of the runs show it moving by to the west of the Hawaiian islands. If it ends up heading for the main part of the state (low probability solution for now), the timing would indicate passage on the 7th or 8th of September.

Weather Narrative..as of Tuesday afternoon: Clouds and showers continue to be carried in on the trade wind flow, and as a result are focused over the windward and mauka areas. A surface trough about 350 miles east of the islands will continue to move towards the islands today and weaken. Moisture from that trough will reach the islands tonight, helping to boost shower activity.

Tropical Storm Lowell is about 500 miles southeast of the Big Island this morning, and the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) now has Lowell strengthened to a hurricane. The latest track and cone for Lowell has the system passing south of the islands Wednesday night through Friday. Outer rain bands and moisture from Lowell could begin to spread across the islands today, increasing chances of passing trade wind showers, however the bulk of moisture will likely pass south of the state. Additionally, dew point temperatures are expected to exceed 70 degrees, which will make the atmosphere muggier than normal. Trade winds will stay breezy due to a strong surface high remaining far north of the area.

Overall expect an increase in passing showers over the next few days, due to the moisture from the trough mentioned above tonight, and moisture loosely associated with Lowell passing through the state.

The latest forecast from the NHC has Lowell passing a little over 300 miles south of the Big Island Wednesday night into Thursday as a category 3 Major Hurricane. While probabilities for tropical storm force winds remain low over the state, the tightening of the pressure gradient over the islands will likely produce very windy and gusty trade winds as early as Wednesday afternoon through Friday. Winds could reach advisory thresholds with wind gusts over 50 mph possible during this time.

As we head into the weekend, as Lowell exits, our focus will shift more to Hurricane Karina which is currently about 1500 miles east of the Big Island. The latest forecast from NHC for Karina brings it about 600 miles east of the Big Island on Saturday. We will need to continue monitoring Karina over the coming days, to discern its potential impacts on the state.

The forecast spread drastically increases over the Labor Day weekend into early next week, as an upper level trough/low develops north of the state. Several models show Lowell taking a sharp northward turn over the weekend. While confidence has increased on Lowell passing south of the state during the week, the forecast still remains very uncertain over Labor day weekend, due to the northward turn in the various models. Also during this time, we could see Karina within the vicinity of the islands late this weekend.

Fire Weather: Breezy trades today are expected to strengthen further as early as Wednesday afternoon through Friday, as Hurricane Lowell passes south of the islands. Strong gusty winds over 50 mph will be possible across select areas during this time. While fuel conditions are not at critical levels due to abundant rainfall we have received over the past several weeks, moderate fire danger will be possible for areas mainly due to very windy conditions. Dew points are expected to increase in the upper 60’s and low 70’s by this afternoon and hold through the week, keeping minimum humidities in the 50’s for the most part. A few leeward areas could still see humidities down into the mid 40’s especially on Thursday, as a pocket of dry air moves in. The exact track of Lowell remains uncertain and thus potential for meaningful rainfall remains uncertain at this time. The inversion will hover between 5,500 ft and 6,500 feet over the next couple of days.

 

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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 MapLooping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Conditions…as of Tuesday afternoon: A strong surface high will remain nearly stationary far north of the Hawaiian Islands this week, keeping moderate to locally strong trade winds in place. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect for the typically windy waters as a result of the locally strong trades. Hurricane Lowell, now in the Central Pacific, is forecast to intensify, and will track very close to the southern offshore waters, bringing tropical storm conditions (with the core of hurricane force winds remaining outside the offshore waters) from Wednesday into Thursday.

There is still some uncertainty with the forecast track of Lowell, especially closer to this weekend as the cyclone begins to gain latitude, which will have significant impacts on the wind, wave, and surf forecast for the region. Regardless of Lowell`s final path, trade winds will increase by Wednesday afternoon through Friday, as a result of the gradient between high pressure to the north and Lowell to the south. By this weekend, Hurricane Karina, approaching the region from the east, will increasingly be a factor in the forecast of seas and surf as well.

A moderate, long-period south swell arrives today. This swell will build through the day and overnight before peaking on Wednesday, bringing surf heights to just below advisory thresholds. This swell will then gradually decline through the rest of the week. Also by Wednesday, medium-period energy from Lowell could start filling in across south and southeast shores.

South shore surf is likely to be elevated, but stay below advisory levels through at least Friday. Beyond that point, the surf forecast is highly dependent on the eventual track and intensity of Lowell, which has the potential to be a significant source of south to southwesterly swell through this weekend into next week, depending on how sharply and quickly the cyclone turns to the north.

Trade wind swell energy will keep elevated surf heights along all east-facing shores through the coming week. Tonight, a medium-period east swell arrives from Hurricane Karina, that will build through the week and could push east shore surf to advisory thresholds by this weekend and into next week.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Monday, August 31, 2026 – 110 degrees at Stovepipe Wells, CA


>>>
Lowest Temperature Monday, August 31, 2026 – 20 degrees near Mackay, ID

 

'Hawaii Retro Waves Pixel' Poster, picture, metal print, paint by LVTFCO | Displate


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 cyclone

 

Gulf of America: 

Tropical Cyclone 05 (Edouard)…is located about 5 miles west of Port Arthur, Texas

EDOUARD JUST INLAND ALONG THE NORTHWESTERN GULF COAST…GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUE SPREADING OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

According to the NHC advisory number 6

Edouard is moving toward the northwest near 7 mph, and this motion is expected to continue for the next day or so. On the forecast track, the center of Edouard will continue moving inland over eastern Texas through Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Continued weakening is expected during the next day or so, and Edouard is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression tonight and dissipate by Wednesday night. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center. A weather station in Port Arthur, Texas, recently reported a sustained wind of 38 mph and a gust of 59 mph . A sustained wind of 37 mph and a gust to 55 mph were recently measured at the Beaumont/Port Arthur Southeast Texas Regional Airport. The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 998 mb (29.47 inches).

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Northeast Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 11E (Karina)…is located about 1330 miles west of the southern tip of Baja California

KARINA REMAINS A CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE BUT EXPECTED TO WEAKEN

According to the NHC advisory number 22…

Karina is moving toward the west near 12 mph and a westward to west-northwestward motion is expected during the next few days. Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph with higher gusts. Karina is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Gradual weakening is expected during the next several days. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 949 mb (28.03 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 13E (Marie)…is located about 510 miles south of the southern tip of Baja California

MARIE STRENGTHENING …EXPECTED TO BECOME A HURRICANE ON WEDNESDAY

According to the NHC advisory number 3…

Marie is moving toward the northwest near 8 mph. A turn toward the west-northwest is expected on Wednesday and that motion should continue through Thursday. Recent satellite wind data indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is expected during the next 48 hours, and Marie is expected to become a hurricane on Wednesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles mainly to the east and southeast of the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 997 mb (29.44 inches).

 

Central North Pacific

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 535 miles southeast of Hilo, HI

LOWELL STRENGTHENING QUICKLY …FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE ON WEDNESDAY

According to the NHC advisory number 21…

Lowell is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. A west to west-northwest motion is expected to continue during the next several days. Satellite imagery indicates that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or two, and Lowell is expected to become a major hurricane on Wednesday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles). The estimated minimum central pressure is 977 mb (28.85 inches).

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean:

Tropical Cyclone 17W (Saudel) is located approximately 129 NM east-southeast of Hong Kong

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Tropical Cyclone 22W (Krovanh) is located approximately 408 miles southeast of Kadena AB

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>>> 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:
Leaded Aviation Gas Drives Up Lead Levels Near Regional Airports, Raising Health Concerns, New Study Finds

Emissions from aircraft that use leaded aviation gasoline are a significant source of environmental pollution in neighborhoods near regional airports, a new study by researchers at Oregon State University and Portland State University has found.

Lead levels were much higher near two Portland, Oregon-area regional airports than urban areas located farther away, and the dominant source of the lead is aviation fuel, said Alyssa Shiel, an environmental geochemist at Oregon State University, and one of the study’s corresponding authors.

“While lead was phased out of motor vehicle gasoline decades ago, piston-engine aircraft – small planes such as single-engine trainers, light twin-engine planes, agricultural crop-dusters and vintage war planes -remain the largest remaining source of airborne lead emissions in the country,” said Shiel, an associate professor in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.

Read More: Oregon State University

A small plane sits at an airport.