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

 

The latest update to this website was at 337pm Monday afternoon HST


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

1.54  Kilohana, Kauai
0.91  Manoa Lyon Arboretum, Oahu
0.20  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai City, Lanai
0.69  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.72  Kawainui Stream, Big Island


The following numbers represent the strongest wind gusts (mph) Monday afternoon:

33  Lihue, Kauai – NE
24  Kii, Oahu – ENE 
30  Makapulapai, Molokai – E
m   Lanai – missing
47  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NE
38  Kawaihae Rd, 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 (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.


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Big Blue…click twice for largest version

 

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The tropical waters from southwest to southeast and far east-southeast of the islands are active with thunderstorms…along with two tropical cyclones 

 

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

451am, it’s clear here at my place here in Kula with a low temperature of 55 degrees, and the relative humidity is 81%

912am, the clear skies here in Maui County earlier this morning are turning partly cloudy with some cloudy areas.

 

A good friend recently sent me a youtube video portraying the poet Mary Oliver. Many of you have never heard of her, and yes, there are those of you who have and love her words…you know who you are.  I just finished watching this documentary, it was a PBS production, and I must say I loved it. Personally, I must have at least 10 of her poetry books, and even though I’ve read every one more than once over the last several decades or more, I never put them away for long. If you’d care to watch her, and yes there are some very touching moments…here’s a link: Mary Oliver

 

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 the season at 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 Tropical Storm Lowell, is forecast to become a hurricane early Tuesday. The current forecast track shows Lowell staying to the south of the islands. The other system, Hurricane Karina, may come closer…there’s still a high degree of uncertainty.

cone graphic

time of arrival graphic

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Monday afternoon: Breezy trades will continue through at least the middle of the week, with showers generally favoring windward and mauka areas, particularly during the overnight through early morning hours each day. Tropical Storm Lowell is currently over 700 miles east-southeast of the Big Island. Latest forecast track has Lowell passing south of the Big Island late Wednesday into Thursday. Trade winds are expected to become strong and gusty Thursday into Friday, as Lowell passes south of the state. Forecast still remains very uncertain for Labor Day weekend, with the potential for Lowell and Karina within the vicinity of the state.

Short Term Update: Scattered light to moderate showers are tapering off since earlier in the day, and becoming more isolated. Windward areas of Kauai and the Big Island received between 0.50 to 1.00 inch of rainfall over the past 12 hours. Drier air will continue to filter in through the day. Chances of showers will likely increase tonight, as a band of low level clouds and showers moves from east to west across the state tonight into early morning Tuesday. Breezy east-northeast trade winds will hold as a broad, strong surface high pressure remains far north of the state.

Weather Narrative..as of Monday afternoon: Radar and satellite imagery shows scattered showers over windward and mauka areas. Rainfall totals overnight have remained on the lighter side, but several gauges around the state did show 0.25 to 0.50 inches of rain during the past 12 hours. While we’ll see some drier conditions during the day today, another band of moisture could move in tonight, followed by some deeper moisture around Wednesday. So overall, expect some passing showers riding in with the breezy trades over the next few days.

Latest forecast from NHC has Lowell passing little over 300 miles south of the Big Island Wednesday night into Thursday, as a category 2 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 windy and gusty trade wind weather Thursday into Friday.

Winds could reach advisory thresholds with wind gusts over 50 mph possible during this time. As far as rainfall, the bulk of the moisture will likely pass south of the state. Some of the outer rainbands, especially on the tail end of the tropical cyclone, could bring in some enhanced trade wind showers around Friday or Saturday.

The forecast spread drastically increases over labor day weekend, as an upper level trough/low develops north of the state. Latest run of the google DeepMind (GDM) model is generally showing a sharper northward turn over the weekend compared to the last run.

While confidence has increased on Lowell passing south of the state during the week, the forecast still remains very uncertain over Labor day weekend, with several ensemble members of the GDM showing a sharp northward turn. Also during this time, we could see Karina within the vicinity of the islands late this weekend.

Fire Weather: Breezy trades continue through mid-week, and then strengthens Thursday through Friday, as TC Lowell passes south of the islands. Strong gusty winds with wind gusts over 50 mph will be possible across select areas Thursday into Friday. While fuel conditions do not remain critical at this time due to the abundant rainfall we received over the past several weeks, moderate fire danger will be possible for areas mainly due to the windy conditions.

Dewpoints increasing into the upper 60’s and low 70’s during this time should keep 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 TC 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 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 Monday 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. Tropical Storm Lowell, now in the Central Pacific, is forecast to intensify into a hurricane tonight and will track very close to or move into the southern offshore waters, bringing possible hurricane conditions 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. 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.

Overlapping small, long- and medium-period south swell energy will keep small surf along south facing shores early this week. A moderate south swell arrives Tuesday and fills in and peaks on Wednesday, pushing surf close to advisory thresholds. South shore surf then slowly declines through the end of the week as the swell fades.

Trade wind swell energy will keep elevated surf heights along all east facing shores through the coming week. Surf along southeast facing shores could become especially rough and choppy Wednesday into Thursday, as Tropical Storm Lowell intensifies into a hurricane and tracks south of the islands. Later in the week, a medium-period east swell arrives from Hurricane Karina, that could push east shore surf to advisory thresholds by this weekend.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Sunday, August 30, 2026 – 112 degrees at Ocotillo, CA


>>>
Lowest Temperature Sunday, August 30, 2026 – 21 degrees near Kirk, OR

 

10 Must-Take Photos in Hawaii: Aesthetic Island Moments


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 cyclones

>>> Near Hispaniola:

 Remnants of Dolly 

A surface trough of low pressure (the remnants of Tropical Storm Dolly) is producing a disorganized area of showers and thunderstorms that extends from near Hispaniola eastward to the northern Leeward Islands.

Redevelopment, if any, would be slow to occur during the next few days as the system encounters generally unfavorable upper-level winds while moving quickly west-northwestward at 20 to 25 mph.

Regardless, the system could bring locally heavy rains and gusty winds to portions of the Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and the Bahamas during the next couple of days.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…10 percent

 

Gulf of America: 

Tropical Cyclone 05 (Edouard)…is located about 175 miles southeast of Port Arthur, Texas

DEPRESSION STRENGTHENS INTO TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD …ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE NORTHWEST GULF COAST ON TUESDAY

The storm is moving toward the west-northwest near 6 mph. A west-northwestward to northwestward motion is forecast during the next day or two. On the forecast track, the center of Edouard is predicted to reach the northwestern Gulf Coast within the warning area on Tuesday and move inland over southeast Texas on Tuesday night. Recent radar and satellite data indicate that the maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is likely before the center reaches the northwest Gulf coast on Tuesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1010 mb (29.83 inches).

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT05/AL052026_5day_cone.png

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical Cyclone 11E (Karina)…is located about 1095 miles west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California

COMPACT KARINA STILL A CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE

According to the NHC advisory number 18…

Karina is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue through the forecast period. Maximum sustained winds decreased to near 130 mph with higher gusts. Karina is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Fluctuations in intensity remain possible through tonight, followed by a gradual weakening trend on Tuesday. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 950 mb (28.06 inches).

 

>>> Well offshore of Southwestern Mexico:

Invest 95E

Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad area of low pressure located several hundred miles south-southwest of the coast of southwestern Mexico are continuing to become better organized. The environmental conditions are conducive for development, and a tropical depression or tropical storm is expected to form later tonight or by early tomorrow morning as the system moves northwestward around 10 mph.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…90 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

 

Central North Pacific

Tropical Cyclone 12E (Lowell)…is located about 740 miles southeast of Hilo, HI

LOWELL FORECAST TO INTENSIFY RAPIDLY OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO

According to the NHC advisory number 17…

Lowell is moving toward the west near 14 mph and this motion is expected to continue during the next two to three days. Thereafter, a gradual turn toward the west-northwest is forecast. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 65 mph with higher gusts. Rapid intensification is forecast over the next 48 hours, and Lowell is expected to become a major hurricane by Wednesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 90 miles from the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 995 mb (29.39 inches).

 

>>> Central Pacific:

An area of showers and thunderstorms are located well south or southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Development of this system is becoming less likely as it drifts slowly westward.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…near 0 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…low…10 percent

 

Northwest Pacific Ocean: There are no active tropical cyclones

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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:
NASA’s Starling Mission Opens New Frontiers in Space Navigation

NASA’s Starling mission has marked another milestone in spacecraft autonomy by using a new system that determines a satellite’s position in orbit by referencing other objects in space, instead of relying on a navigational network.

The FALCON (Fast Autonomous Lost-in-space Catalog-based Optical Navigation) technology demonstration is a step toward spacecraft being able to operate more independently. As NASA prepares for more missions beyond Earth’s orbit, technologies like FALCON can support lunar satellite swarms, distributed science missions, and human exploration.

Traditional satellite navigation depends on GPS signals, but those can be unreliable or unavailable in lunar or deep space environments. The FALCON payload is a joint flight experiment by NASA and EraDrive, a startup spun out from Stanford University. It combines EraDrive’s Era-Core flight software and embedded algorithms with Starling’s cameras and an onboard catalog of known satellites to support GPS-independent navigation and space situational awareness.

Read More: NASA

Image: The Starling swarm’s extended mission tested GPS-independent navigation, using onboard star tracking for self-orbit determination and space object catalog updates.