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

 

The latest update to this website was at 606pm Sunday evening HST


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

1.21  Kilohana, Kauai
0.51  Lyon, Oahu
0.33  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.67  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.49  Kawainui Stream Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Sunday evening:

33  Lihue, Kauai – NE
42  Kuaokala, Oahu – NE
33  Makapulapai, Molokai – NE 
35  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
45  Na Kula, Maui – NE
38  Lalamilo, Big Island – NNE


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

 

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

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20261441640-20261450030-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

Clear to variably cloudy…high clouds south, clipping the Big Island 

 

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https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKI_loop.gif

https://radar.weather.gov/ridge/standard/PHKM_loop.gif

Localized showers mostly windward…although not exclusively 

 

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

It’s mostly clear here in Maui County, along with the usual low clouds along the windward sides, with calm winds at my place, and with a very chilly low of 48.5 degrees and the relative humidity is 78%

245pm, it’s a very common spring day, a day that some folks, or at least the holiday tomorrow, say is the beginning of summer. Looking down into the central valley here on Maui, I see some haze, it’s not all that thick, although it’s haze nonetheless.

608pm, lots of clouds piling up along the windward coasts and slopes as we head towards the sunset hour. Some of these showers are being carried further inland on the gusty trade winds.


>>> Highest Temperature Sunday, May 24, 2026 – 106 degrees at Death Valley, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Sunday, May 24, 2026 – 24 degrees near Creede, CO

 

NOAA predicts active Pacific hurricane season as El Niño returns

NOAA is predicting a 70 percent chance of above-normal activity in both the eastern and central Pacific basins this year. In the eastern Pacific, forecasters expect between 15 and 22 named storms, including up to 14 hurricanes, and as many as nine major hurricanes. In the central Pacific — the region that includes Hawaii — NOAA predicts between five and 13 tropical cyclones this season.

NOAA Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs said El Niño is one of the biggest factors behind this year’s forecast.

“In the central and eastern Pacific, the El Niño reduces the vertical wind shear, essentially the opposite of the Atlantic, which is why we’re expecting an above-average season, in addition to the warmer sea surface temperatures,” Jacobs said.

Lower wind shear allows storms to organize and strengthen more easily over the Pacific Ocean.

Compared to last year’s outlook — when the central Pacific forecast called for just one to four storms and the eastern Pacific expected 12 to 18 named storms — this year’s projections point to a more active season overall.

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Sunday evening: A broad ridge of high pressure north of the Hawaiian Islands will dominate our weather for at least the next week, with moderate to locally strong easterly trade winds, and only subtle day to day wind speed changes. A weak and narrow upper level trough will remain over us, keeping periods of trade wind showers in the forecast. These passing showers will favor windward and mountain areas in the overnight to early morning hours.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Sunday evening:  Radar indicates isolated mostly light showers occurring windward and mountains. Cloud cover runs the gamut from sunny to overcast, with most of the clouds also windward and mountains. Winds were on the breezy side, with sustained winds averaging 10-20 mph and numerous gusts of 25 to 35 mph (in those areas especially prone to stronger trade winds).

Trade winds will continue through the next week, as a surface high will remain to our north. The high will undergo some evolution through the week, as one center is eventually replaced by another. But we really won`t notice the difference, as the result will simply be a continuation of moderate to breezy trades, along with typical trade wind showers. These showers will be on the light side because moisture is rather limited. Although it is possible that a band of moisture may move toward us later in the week, the latest guidance puts the best chance out beyond the next 7-days.


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 Sunday evening: Central Pacific high pressure at all levels will greatly influence the Hawaiian Island nearshore water forecast this week. A stable and relatively drier environment will ensure isolated daytime showers and overnight scattered showers as higher pockets of moisture stream in on established trade flow. Trades will remain moderate to fresh, locally strong through eastern island bays and channels, in the foreseeable future.

Surf along south-facing shores will very subtly decline Monday as a very small, medium period south swell lingers. A slightly higher longer period south swell will arrive Tuesday, then build surf to near early summertime averages through mid week before slowly fading out Thursday. A large fetch of 40-plus knot winds currently generating 25 to 30 foot seas southeast of New Zealand is aimed toward Hawaii along southern great circle directional routes. This should push in a significant size, long period south southwest swell later this week. South and better exposed west-facing shore surf will begin building Friday and may peak at or slightly above high surf advisory levels next weekend.

North and west-facing shore surf has and will hold through Monday in response to the latest small north northwest swell that arrived this past Friday. A late season storm force low in the northwest Pacific low moving just south of the Aleutian Islands will focus its energy southeast of its easterly track. The resultant small, medium period swell will arrive late Tuesday and gradually fill in around the islands through Wednesday. Above seasonal average north and west-facing shore surf is expected Wednesday into Thursday.

East-facing exposures will still experience a short period wind wave chop the next few days. Seas will become less rough into mid week as trades begin to slightly ease.

 

Hamoa Beach, Maui


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:  The Fog is Alive: Researchers Discover Bacteria in Fog Droplets Clear Toxins From Air

What if fog isn’t just misty air, but a living ecosystem?

This question hung over cloud researcher Thi Thuong Thuong Cao. As a PhD student at Arizona State University, her curiosity led her from knocking on the doors of microbiologists and chemists, to sampling fog before sunrise in Pennsylvania, to hours of peering through a lab’s microscope. And she found her answer.

Her ASU research team found that bacteria floating in tiny fog droplets are alive, growing and — quite helpfully — breaking down pollutants in the air.

Read More at: Arizona State University

A foggy field in Pennsylvania has a little secret — its suspended water droplets form a habitat for helpful bacteria that eat air toxins.