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

 

The latest update to this website was at 514am Friday morning HST


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

0.27  Kilohana, Kauai
0.59  Kahuku, Oahu
0.02  Honolimaloo, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.25  Haiku, Maui
0.38  Kaluamakani, Big Island


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

05  Nawiliwili, Kauai – WSW
08  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
13  Honolimaloo, Molokai – E
m   Lanai – missing
27  Na Kula, Maui – E
18  PTA Range 17, 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 (out of operation). 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

   Tropical cyclone 01C (Lala) far northwest…moving further away / Tropical Cyclone 02C southeast

 

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/CP01/refresh/CP012026_5day_cone+png/150554_5day_cone.png

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20262330630-20262331420-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif
An area of low pressure is passing by to our north…some high clouds 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

Localized showers 

 

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

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

Glenn’s Aloha Friday comments:  I’m at home here in upper Kula, Maui, Hawaii

447am, it’s clear here at my place here in Kula with a low temperature of 56.5 degrees, and the relative humidity is 82%

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Friday morning: Weak trades today as a trough advances north of the islands. Tropical Depression 02C is still expected to track south of Hawaii late Saturday into Monday. Even with the southward track increased winds and rain are expected, with the highest rainfall totals expected across windward and southeast Big Island.

Weather Narrative..as of Friday morning: Surface troughing associated with tropical remnants positioned immediately north of the Hawaiian islands will weaken the pressure gradient today. As a result, light winds are expected with muggy weather. A few afternoon showers over leeward areas will be possible today.

The latest track from NHC continues to keep Tropical Depression 02C south of the islands. Confidence has increased further that the main impacts from the system will be increased winds and heavy rain potential over southeast and windward Big Island. Rain chances will increase on the east side of the state late Saturday night into Sunday, spreading west Sunday night into Monday. The current rainfall forecast has 5 to 10 inches, locally higher, over the Puna and Kau Districts, and to a lesser extent over the Hilo Districts of the Big Island. Elsewhere, rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are expected, with isolated amounts up to 4 inches for eastern Maui.

Breezy trades are expected to return Saturday into Sunday, as resident surface troughing lifts away from the area, and 02C lifts out of the deep tropics. Trades then strengthen considerably as the gradient responds to the close proximity of the tropical system, and 1022mb high pressure anchored to our north.

Sunday may be quite windy over the eastern end of the state, with strong trades spreading westward to the remainder of the state Sunday night through Monday. There is still a chance that a portion of the area may be under tropical watches/warnings during this time, but if the forecast track continues to trend southerly chances of a tropical headline will decrease.

Any shifts in the track will have impacts on both the rain and wind forecast. A more southerly track may leave the smaller islands relatively dry and in a more typical windy trade wind type of pattern, with more wind and heavier rain possible if the track shifts north.

Stable, breezy trades establish for the remainder of next week, as the tropical system departs and governing high pressure centered along 30N remains in place.

 

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 Conditions…as of Friday morning: A trough passing north of Kauai will continue to track northwestward and away from the state. As the trough moves away, moderate to locally fresh trades will return later this afternoon, and could become locally strong tonight. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) will likely be needed for the windier waters around Maui County and the Big Island by late tonight. Trade winds will continue to strengthen over the weekend, with gale force winds possible across the windier waters around the Big Island as Tropical Depression 02C passes south of the state.

A Gale Watch will be possible for some of the windier waters around Maui County and the Big Island late Saturday into Sunday. Across the offshore waters, Tropical Storm conditions will be possible as early as late Saturday. Tropical Storm conditions are expected Saturday night into Sunday across the southern offshore waters.

Surf along south facing shores will see a modest increase from a new long-period south swell that began trickling in yesterday. Another reinforcing swell is expected over the weekend, which should boost surf heights near the summer average. A series of south swells are expected next week, with above average surf likely during the second half of next week.

Surf along east facing shores remains below average with weak trades, then is expected to build this weekend as the trades restrengthen. Surf along east and south facing shores will be compounded by a southeast swell generated by Tropical Depression 02C, that will build through Sunday and then become south, then southwest through early next week. This short period tropical swell could cause surf to approach advisory levels along east facing shores of the Big Island Saturday night into Sunday, though forecast confidence is on the lower side, as the wind field with this tropical cyclone is expected to be relatively small, and the forecast track may shift slightly.

North facing shores will remain tiny, with a slight rise from Hurricane Lala possible this weekend, out of the west-northwest direction.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, August 20, 2026 – 121 degrees at Stovepipe Wells, CA


>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, August 20, 2026 – 32 degrees at Stanley, ID

 


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

>>> Northeastern Atlantic:

A non-tropical area of low pressure is expected to develop along a front over the northeastern Atlantic by early Friday. This system could separate from its fronts and acquire some subtropical or tropical characteristics later Friday or Saturday, while it moves generally eastward or east-southeastward toward Portugal and northwestern Spain.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent  
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent 

 

>>> Central Subtropical Atlantic:

A weak area of low pressure located over the central subtropical Atlantic a few hundred miles east-southeast of Bermuda is producing a concentrated area of showers and thunderstorms southeast of its center. Surface pressures in the area are relatively high, therefore development of this system, if any, is expected to be slow to occur while it drifts west-southwestward through Sunday and then turns northward early next week.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…10 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

 

>>> 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.

 

Northeast Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> South-southwest of Mexico:

A broad area of low pressure located a few hundred miles south of the coast of southwestern Mexico is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. This system is moving west-northwestward and could become a tropical depression over the weekend or early next week before it interacts, or possibly merges with, a disturbance to its west.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…medium…50 percent

 

>>> Central East Pacific:

Invest 91E

An area of low pressure located several hundred miles south of the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear favorable for gradual development, and a tropical depression is likely to form this weekend or early next week while the system moves west-northwestward or northwestward at 5 to 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…medium…60 percent 
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…80 percent 

 

Central North Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 01C (Lala)…is located about 160 miles north of Maro Reef

LALA MOVING SLIGHTLY FASTER TOWARDS THE NORTH-NORTHEAST …TROPICAL STORM WARNING DISCONTINUED FOR THE ISLANDS OF THE PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEA MARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT

According to the NHC advisory number 37…

Lala is moving toward the north-northeast near 13 mph and this motion is expected to continue through this morning. A turn toward the north with a slightly faster forward speed is expected later today, followed by a northwestward motion beginning tonight and continuing through early next week. Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible over the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening through next week. Lala is forecast to remain a hurricane through Sunday morning. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 970 mb (28.65 inches).

 

Tropical Cyclone 02C…is located about 745 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii

TROPICAL DEPRESSION MAY BRING RAINFALL AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS

According to the NHC advisory number 5…

The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph. This general motion is expected to persist over the next several days, with the center of the system passing south of the Big Island of Hawaii this weekend, then the smaller main Hawaiian Islands by early next week. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Gradual strengthening is forecast over the couple of days, and the depression is forecast to become a tropical storm later today. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1005 mb (29.68 inches).

cone graphic

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/abpwsair.jpg

 

Tropical Cyclone 17W (Saudel)…is located approximately 141 NM northeast of Saipan

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp1726.gif

 

Tropical Cyclone 18W…is located approximately 163 NM east of Hanoi, Vietnam

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp1826.gif

 

>>> 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: The Changing Shape of Extreme Rain in the U.S.

Extreme precipitation events are among the most damaging natural disasters and a major concern in our changing climate. In the U.S., since 1980, the most destructive events alone have caused over 2800 deaths and $700 billion in damages. But what is the total area of the country affected by these events each year? And how have these patterns changed over the last several decades? In a recent study in Geophysical Research Letters, led by researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School, the authors discovered some unexpected trends.

Extreme rainfall events that cover large areas, including hurricanes, atmospheric rivers and thunderstorm complexes, are a growing threat, but many studies on extreme precipitation focus on the statistics of rainfall recorded at individual locations, like weather stations. This new study takes a slightly different approach, looking at not only when heavy rainfall events occur, but also how much nearby area was affected by the same event on the same day.

For example, a small-area extreme rainfall event may result in a localized flash flood in just a few towns, but large-area extreme events like Hurricane Ida in 2021 can easily cause destruction across entire states at once. Looking at the statistics of extreme precipitation events across both space and time has yielded some surprising results. For example, the average weather station in the eastern half of the U.S. is recording an increasing number of days with extreme rainfall since 1980; at the same time, we are also observing that extreme rainfall events might be decreasing in frequency. How can both findings be true?

Read More: Columbia Climate School