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

 

The latest update to this website was at 114pm Thursday afternoon HST


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

4.16  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.45  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu
0.35  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai City, Lanai
1.99  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.65  Honaunau, Big Island


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

21  Port Allen, Kauai – ENE
36  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – ESE
32  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
33  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
39  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NE
40  Puuloa, Big Island – NE


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 

 

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Variable low clouds…higher level clouds in the vicinity too

 

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

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

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

502am, it’s mostly clear here in upper Kula with calm winds, and a low temperature at my place of 52.5 degrees…with the relative humidity 79%

 

We have Hurricane Fausto continuing to churn the waters of the eastern Pacific, far to the east of the Hawaiian Islands. It will continue more or less west-northwesterly over the next several days. It will cross over into our central Pacific Saturday. From there it may eventually get close to Hawaii, or move by not far to the north. If this were to occur, we could see the associated cloud field bring showers our way towards the middle of next week. Additionally, we should see rising surf this weekend along the east facing shores…generated by Fausto. As we know, things may change going forward, so that I’ll keep abreast of these changes and make updates here as warranted.

cone graphic

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/tpw/13/GOES18-TPW-13-900x540.gif

time of arrival graphic

 

>>> Highest Temperature Wednesday, July 22, 2026 – 118 near Tecopa, CA

>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, July 23, 2026 – 40 degrees at Leadville, CO

 

Hawaii’s Weather Highlights…as of Thursday afternoon: Moderate to breezy trade winds will strengthen through the week, and in the process carry periodic showers to windward and mountain areas. Tropical Cyclone Fausto (or its remnants) may impact the state towards the middle of next week, but specific details are not yet available due to the extended time frame.

Short Term Update: Radar and satellite imagery show scattered showers moving into windward and mountain areas across the state. Overall rainfall amounts have been minimal, with only a few hundredths to a couple of tenths of an inch measured across most windward locations over the last 6 hours. Robust high pressure to the far north will generate breezy to locally windy trades across the state through tonight, and then moderate to breezy trades through the weekend. With ridging persisting over the area, shower activity will be suppressed over the next couple of days, but minor increases can still be expected during the overnight to early morning hours.

Weather Commentary…as of Thursday afternoon: Radar and satellite show scattered showers moving over the state, with showers mainly over windward and mountain areas. The largest area of showers was north of Molokai, moving west toward Oahu. These showers should decrease through the morning, as more stable air moves into our area.

High pressure centered north of the state will gradually move westward over the next few days. Moderate to breezy trades will continue into the weekend, before slowly weakening next week. Relatively dry and stable air will move in with the trade winds, bringing isolated mainly windward and mountain showers, most numerous during the overnight to early morning hours. Very little rainfall is expected to make it over to leeward areas through this weekend.

Next week, the weather across the state will depend on the eventual track and intensity of Tropical Cyclone Fausto. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a gradual weakening of this system as it tracks westward and enters our Central Pacific this weekend, with further weakening expected early next week, as it moves into a more hostile environment with cooler waters and increased shear. At this time, its too early to predict any direct impacts from Fausto on Hawaii, though confidence is increasing in east-facing shores receiving a decent swell late this weekend into early 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 Thursday afternoon:  High pressure far north of the state will maintain fresh to locally strong trades through the weekend. A Small Craft Advisory (SCA) remains in effect for the typical windier channels and waters around Maui and the Big Island, then will expand to include all the Hawaiian Waters today through tonight. Widespread fresh to strong winds are expected during this time with near gales possible for the windier waters around Maui County and the Big Island. The strong high to the north is expected to eventually shift westward and weaken some, which should allow the trade winds to weaken a notch around Sunday evening. Trends in the strength and direction of winds early next week become less clear as a result of the uncertain track of a weakening Hurricane Fausto (forecast to become a tropical storm by Monday) in the central Pacific.

Offshore and nearshore buoys this morning are showing an increase in long period energy as the incoming south swell builds through the day. A High Surf Advisory (HSA) is in effect today as surf is expected to reach advisory levels by daybreak with the potential to approach warning levels tonight into Friday as the swell peaks. Over the weekend, reinforcing long-period energy may allow advisory level surf to persist and may require an extension of the HSA. The swell will then slowly decline into the beginning of next week.

Surf along east-facing shores will remain rough and choppy, with a small, medium- period east swell which was likely generated by former TC Elida. This weekend, larger surf generated by Hurricane Fausto is possible and could bring advisory level surf along east facing shores by late Sunday into early next week.

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

 

Natural Area Reserves System – Division of Forestry and Wildlife: Native Ecosystems Protection & Management


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 35 miles north of Galveston, Texas

BERTHA MOVING INLAND OVER EASTERN TEXAS …HEAVY RAINS SPREADING ACROSS PORTIONS OF COASTAL TEXAS

According to the NHC Advisory number 18

Bertha is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h) and this motion with some increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, the center of Bertha will move across portions of eastern Texas during the next several hours. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Bertha is expected to gradually weaken, and it is forecast to dissipate tonight or on Friday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km) south the center. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 mb (29.71 inches).

cone graphic

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES19/ABI/SECTOR/ga/13/GOES19-GA-13-1000x1000.gif

 

Northeast Pacific:

Tropical cyclone 06E (Fausto)…is located about 1840 miles east of Hilo, Hawaii

FAUSTO IS SLIGHTLY STRONGER

According to the NHC Advisory number 20 

Fausto is moving toward the west near 14 mph (22 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue over the next few days. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 85 mph (140 km/h) with higher gusts. Small intensity fluctuations are possible today, followed by slow weakening through the weekend. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km). The estimated minimum central pressure is 980 mb (28.94 inches).

cone graphic

 

>>> Eastern and Central east Pacific:

Invest 98E

An area of low pressure located several hundred miles south of the coast of southern Mexico is showing some signs of organization, though satellite-derived wind data indicate the system lacks a well-defined low-level center. Environmental conditions appear conducive for additional development of this system, and a tropical depression or storm is likely to form within the next couple of days, while the system moves generally west-northwestward at 10 to 15 mph and remains well offshore of Mexico.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…high…80 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…90 percent

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

 

Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclone

>>> Well Southwest of Hawaii:

A area of low pressure located well southwest of the Hawaiian Islands is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Environmental conditions appear conducive for some gradual development of this system, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this weekend or early next week while the system moves slowly westward to west-northwestward. The system is forecast to move into the western Pacific basin late this weekend or early next week.

* Formation chance through 48 hours…low…20 percent
* Formation chance through 7 days…high…70 percent

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean:  

Tropical cyclone 11W (Noul)…is located approximately 324 NM northeast of Manila, Philippines

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https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/11W_231800sair.jpg

 

>>> 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:  A Longer, Hotter Reality Surrounds Marine Heatwaves, New Study Finds

Anyone who has boiled a pot of water understands that it takes both time and energy to raise the temperature, so it may come as a surprise to learn that scientists have long treated marine heatwaves (MHWs) as isolated events. New research led by William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School is challenging that narrative by providing a framework to characterize an ecosystem’s cumulative heat exposure from MHWs and the extended periods of warm water that precede and follow them.

The study, published in Nature’s Communications Earth & Environment, classifies periods of warming leading up to and following MHWs and provides a framework for assessing cumulative heat exposure. The research aims to provide a more effective measure of ecological impacts by treating MHWs as part of broader warming events, rather than isolated events, based on long-term observations from across 20 U.S. estuaries.

“We started to notice these warm-water anomalies on either side of marine heatwaves and realized that they’re actually embedded within larger periods of warm water,” explained lead author Ricardo Utzig Nardi M.S. ‘25, a research specialist working with coauthor Piero Mazzini, assistant professor at VIMS & the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences. “It sounds obvious, but studies usually focus only on the marine heatwave window and that’s not an accurate representation of real-world conditions.”

Read More at: Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Periods of sustained warming can last for weeks to months at a time, with a distinct marine heatwave embedded between them and significant implications for estuarine ecosystems and habitats like seagrass beds.