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

 

The latest update to this website was at 5am Tuesday morning HST


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

1.65  Kilohana, Kauai
1.79  Poamoho RG 1, Oahu
0.78  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.06  Lanai City, Lanai
1.35  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.17  Kulaimano, Big Island


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

14  Lawai, Kauai – ENE
25  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ENE
18  Makapulapai, Molokai – NE
15  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
22  Honoapiilani, Maui – N 
22  Upolu AP, Big Island – ESE


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

  Hurricane 06E (Fausto) far east-southeast 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20262020630-20262021420-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif

Variable low clouds…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…some are heavy 

 

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

505am, it’s partly to mostly cloudy here in upper Kula with calm winds, and a low temperature at my place of 61.5 degrees…with the relative humidity 86%

 

We have Hurricane Fausto churning the waters of the east Pacific, far to the east-southeast of the Hawaiian Islands. It will continue more or less northwesterly over the next several days, and continue to strengthen. It will eventually cross over into our central Pacific (around Sunday), and likely have come back down into the Tropical Storm category by then. From there it appears to spin down further in strength, and eventually get into the area to the northeast of our islands. If this were to occur it would cut off our trade winds, and we could see the southern part of the associated cloud field bring some showers our way…although it could just as easily do nothing more than bring some warm and muggy weather our way by the 28-30th of this month. As we know, things will change going forward, so that I’ll keep abreast of these changes and make updates here as warranted.

cone graphic

 

>>> Highest Temperature Monday, July 20, 2026 – 113 near Tecopa, CA

>>> Lowest Temperature Tuesday, July 20, 2026 – 39 degrees at Leadville, CO

 

Interesting Weather Blog…Mauka Showers – The Most Common Wind Direction at Hilo is from the West-Southwest?!

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Tuesday morning: Look for light to occasionally breezy trades with an increase in showers locally. Higher moisture lingering over Hawaii will create thicker overcast and more frequent periods of rain through Wednesday. Recent trade behavior will remain steady through mid-week, with a slight strengthening of winds expected later in the week. Hurricane Fausto will remain far east of the state the next several days, but may influence trade flow early next week.

Weather Commentary…as of Tuesday morning: Satellite imagery is depicting better organized areas of thick clouds surrounding the island chain. This is in association with a moist air mass lingering over the islands. Veering winds within a deeper, moistened boundary layer will yield the potential for area wide rain through Wednesday. Precipitation has filled in across the state, with the majority of the smaller islands picking up a couple of tenths to about a half an inch of rain, with localized greater than one inch amounts locally. The quick pace and widely scattered nature of these cells should keep any localized flooding concerns at bay. Heavier, more intense pockets of rain may cause nuisance low lying area flooding and street ponding into Wednesday.

This noticeable boost in statewide shower activity will likely hang with us into Wednesday afternoon, as this batch of moisture lingers over the region. Typically drier leeward communities may experience more frequent showers such as enhanced shower coverage over lee Oahu, in response to east-southeast wind convergence downstream of Maui County. After a couple of days of weaker winds, trades will pick up as northeastern Pacific high pressure building south, tightens the gradient across our area. Drier air filling in behind this west-exiting moist air mass late Wednesday, will ensure a drier end of the week. Breezy trades, higher stability and limited showers focused windward and upslope mountains will be the day-to-day theme at week’s close.

Although decent northerly shear continues to impact Hurricane Fausto, currently located far east-southeast, he is slowly intensifying. NHC is forecasting Fausto to continue on a slow and steady west to slight northwest track through Thursday. A pick up in speed is expected with the majority of the numerical model guidance, keeping the storm just south of 20N into Saturday as it nears 140W. If Hurricane Fausto stays on this west-northwesterly track, our localized trade flow will be interrupted as the cyclone passes northeast of the state early to mid next week.

 

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 Tuesday morning:  The trade winds will hold at mostly moderate speeds, as a subtle trough moves through the state. Trade winds strengthen to fresh and locally strong speeds Wednesday and could strengthen another notch late Thursday into Friday, with widespread strong trade winds possible towards the end of the work week.

The High Surf Advisory for south facing shores has been cancelled due to the downward trend shown on the nearshore and offshore buoys. The current south-southeast swell should slowly fade over the next few days.

A powerful low pressure system tracked eastward well south of Tasmania and New Zealand last week. There was a wide fetch of storm force winds with altimeter passes showing seas above 50 feet. This should translate into very long period forerunners arriving as early as early Wednesday morning, and steadily filling in throughout the day Wednesday and peaking on Thursday out of the south-southwest. Surf should reach advisory thresholds by Thursday. The very long-period energy will make for inconsistent, but powerful waves when they arrive. Several days of advisory level surf is expected starting from Thursday and possibly continuing through Sunday, as reinforcing energy arrives over the weekend.

Surf along east-facing shores will remain slightly below seasonal levels as the trades ease upstream of the islands. The Hilo buoy is showing a slight increase across the 12 to 14 second energy bands, which was likely generated by former TC Elida. Easterly swell from TC Elida should peak on Wednesday near seasonal levels. Stronger trade winds will also support an increase of short-period energy by Wednesday, This weekend, larger surf for east shores generated by Hurricane Fausto is possible, and could bring advisory level surf along east facing shores as well.

Surf along north-facing shores will remain at flat to tiny levels through the weekend.

 

The 20 Best Things to Do in Kauai, Hawaii (For Nature Lovers)


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: 

Tropical Cyclone 02A (Bertha)…is located 70 miles south-southwest of Panama City, Florida

AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTERS FIND BERTHA HAS STRENGTHENED…TROPICAL STORM WATCHES AND WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN GULF COAST

According to the NHC Advisory number 9

Bertha is moving toward the north-northwest near 3 mph but is expected to turn toward the west-northwest and west later today and tonight. Then, a continued westward motion is forecast through the middle of the week. On the forecast track, Bertha will move near or along the northern Gulf Coast during the next several days. Data from the Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 60 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected today, followed by gradual weakening through the middle of this week. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center. NOAA buoy 42039 south-southeast of Pensacola recently reported sustained winds of 49 mph and a gust of 54 mph.

cone graphic

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical cyclone 06E (Fausto)…is located about 735 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California

FAUSTO STOPS STRENGTHENING AND WEAKENS SLIGHTLY AS IT MOVES NORTHWESTWARD

According to the NHC Advisory number 11 

Fausto is moving toward the northwest near 12 mph, and that general motion should continue today. A turn toward the west-northwest, accompanied by an increase in forward speed, is expected tonight and Wednesday. Maximum sustained winds are now near 75 mph with higher gusts. Strengthening is expected to resume later today and continue through Wednesday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.

 

>>> Eastern and Central east Pacific:

A broad area of low pressure is forecast to develop well south of Mexico over the next couple of days. Environmental conditions appear conducive for development of the system thereafter, and a tropical depression is likely to form while it moves westward to west-northwestward across the eastern and central portions of the eastern Pacific.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…70 percent

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

 

Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> Southwest of Hawaii:

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a trough of low pressure located well southwest of the Hawaiian Islands remain disorganized. Environmental conditions appear conducive for some gradual development of this system as it moves generally westward during the next several days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…20 percent

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  There are no active tropical cyclones

>>> 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:  Roadless Rule Helps Protect Clean Drinking Water for 25 Million Americans, New Study Shows

Approximately 90% of the U.S. population relies on public water systems. A significant portion of the water supplying those systems comes from forested lands, which means that policies impacting forests also impact our water access.

In 2001, the Clinton administration passed the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, blocking 60 million acres of national forest land from development to limit industrial timber harvest and preserve forest ecosystems. Although popular with the public, the roadless rule drew immediate criticism from timber and related industries. Last summer, the federal government announced plans to rescind it.

A new study from the University of Washington and Conservation Science Partners, published July 15 in PLOS Water, highlights the potential consequences of losing those protections by mapping how the roadless rule protects rivers.

Read More: University of Washington

A historic fire lookout in Utah’s Ashley National Forest. Nearly 60% of the total river length within the forest is protected by the roadless rule, contributing to the water supply for Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego.