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

 

The last update to this website was Friday morning at 444pm HST


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

0.65  Lihue, Kauai
3.29  Luluku, Oahu
0.24  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai City, Lanai
0.49  Puu Kukui, Maui
0.33  Kehena, Big Island


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

18  Lawai, Kauai –  E  
27  Kuaokala , Oahu – NE
25  Anapuka, Molokai – NW  
24  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
23  Maalaea Bay, Maui – N
27  Kohala Ranch, 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. 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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Thunderstorms in the deeper tropics 

 

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High clouds arriving from the west…surface low just northeast 

 

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Showers locally…a few are heavy 

 

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

517am, it’s mostly clear with high cirrus clouds (which lit up a very pretty pink at sunrise). Here at my Kula weather tower I had a low temperature of 50.5 degrees…with the relative humidity 76 percent.

1230pm, here in Maui County we have a few lower level clouds in the usual places, although we have some thick high clouds sliding overhead from the west. I’ve had one walk so far, and about to depart on my second one, before my lunch time rolls around.

416pm, partly cloudy, with a mix of high and lower level cloudiness. The trade winds are back, and are breezy late this afternoon here in upcountry Kula.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, May 7, 2026 – 104 degrees at Death Valley, CA
>>> Lowest Temperature Friday, May 8, 2026 – 18 degrees near Roscommon, MI

 

An interesting weather blog: Mauka Showers…A Recap of Hawaii’s 2025 – 2026 Wet Season

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Friday afternoon:  A weak surface trough will gradually move east to west across the islands tonight through Saturday, resulting in relatively light winds, and a combination of trade showers and sea-breeze showers (during the afternoons). As this trough dissipates, trades will build in stronger Saturday night through Sunday, and even stronger trades are forecast for next week from Tuesday onward.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Friday afternoon: Radar show showers, mainly windward and mountains, over Kauai and Niihau. An increase in showers across the Big Island is expected soon, and is likely also on windward (northeast) Maui and Molokai. Satellite indicates low clouds over or near the higher terrain on each island, along with wispy high clouds streaming in from the southwest. These higher clouds should continue through the night, while the lower clouds will diminish in most areas after sunset.

A weak surface trough was located between Maui County and the Big Island. This feature will slowly drift westward, reaching Kauai Sunday. Trade winds will build in behind this trough, moving in from east to west. Wind speeds will initially be light to moderate, but will become moderate to occasionally breezy early next week. This trough will keep winds weak enough to allow for sea-breeze showers to occasionally develop over leeward areas, even as trade winds build in and bring their typical windward-focused showers. While that is occurring at the surface, the flow aloft will change significantly.

We will transition from weak troughing to our north this weekend, to the rapid development of a closed ridge to our northwest by Monday. This ridge will become elongated along an east-west axis, and remain with us all next week. Its presence will keep a surface ridge in place, allowing the trades to blow at least through the end of next week, and likely longer. This means trade wind showers, mainly windward and mountains, will be the rule for quite a while. There will be occasional fluctuations in available moisture throughout this period, and these will result in periods of enhanced shower activity from time to time. The timing is impossible to nail down more than a few days in advance.


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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 Map / Looping Surface Precipitation…through the next 8-days / Vog Map

 

Marine Environmental Conditions…as of Friday afternoon: A weak trough northeast of the islands will keep trade winds light to locally moderate across all local waters tonight. However, a strengthening surface ridge northwest of the state will bring a return of moderate to locally fresh trades by Sunday. A Small Craft Advisory may be needed for the typical windy waters surrounding Maui and the Big Island as early as Saturday night. Trade winds will continue to strengthen as the high expands eastward early next week.

A declining moderate, medium-period, northwest swell will continue to bring elevated surf to north and west facing shores tonight. This swell and associated surf will slowly fade through the weekend. A new small, medium-period northwest swell arrives on Saturday, leading to a small bump in north and west shore surf on Sunday. For the first half of next week, surf will be small with the lack of any significant northerly swell energy.

A small, long-period south swell should provide a small bump in south shore surf through Saturday. Sunday into next week, background swell energy will keep small surf along south-facing shores.

Surf along east-facing shores will remain below normal this weekend, but will gradually increase through next week as trade winds gradually strengthen.

 

 

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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

>>> Gulf of Mexico: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

 

>>> Eastern Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

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

>>> Central Pacific: There are no active tropical cyclones

Here’s the link to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC)

 

>>> Northwest Pacific Ocean: 

Tropical Cyclone 05W (Hagupit) is located approximately 156 NM northeast of Angaur

 

https://www.metoc.navy.mil/jtwc/products/wp0526.gif

Here’s the link to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

 

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

>>> North and South Indian Oceans / Arabian Sea: There are no active tropical cyclones



Interesting:  How Trees in Urban Areas are Key to Cooling Down a Warmer World

Planting new forests may be a low-cost way to combat warming temperatures in urban areas, suggests a new study.

In a large-scale field experiment, researchers planted 640 tree saplings across 20 parks in Dayton, Ohio, and implemented varying irrigation methods. After monitoring sapling survival, growth and health in response to their irrigation methods and nearby temperatures, the team found that the effects of both water treatment and surrounding heat varied among tree species.

An analysis of saplings at season’s end revealed an overall survival rate of about 48%, indicating that irrigation approaches impacted species’ health differently: Certain species, such as red maple, northern catalpa and honey locust, consistently thrived over others, particularly the white oak, black gum and sassafras saplings.

Read More: Ohio State University