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

 

The latest update to this website was at 513am Thursday HST


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

2.23  Mount Waialeale, Kauai
0.17  Kalawahine, Oahu
0.03  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.01  Lanai City, Lanai
0.91  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.67  Honolii Stream, Big Island


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

25  Lihue, Kauai – NE
39  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – E
33  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
38  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
46  Kealaloloa Rg, Maui – NNE
58  Puulua, 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.

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

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

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/14/20261410630-20261411420-GOES18-ABI-HI-14-600x600.gif

Variably cloudy, mostly low clouds in the general 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 mostly windward 

 

https://www.weather.gov/wwamap/png/hfo.png

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




~~~ Hawaii Weather Narrative ~~~

 

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

It’s mostly clear with low clouds along the windward sides with some showers here in Maui County, with calm winds at my place, with a low of 55 degrees and the relative humidity is 84%

109pm, I played 6-games of Pickleball this morning in Makawao, and each of the games was rousing for sure. Lots of clouds around this afternoon, with the bulk of them over and around the mountains, and along the windward sides. It’s what I’d call a rather normal day for this time of year, albeit much windier than a usual in some areas.

520pm, there are lots of clouds around, mostly along the windward sides and around the mountains, although the leeward beaches still look nice. The main thing over the next several days will be the gusty winds, so batten down the hatches if you live in one of those areas especially exposed to the gusty trade winds.

851pm, despite the strong to very strong trade winds blowing in some parts of the state, it is completely calm here at my place in upper Kula.


>>> Highest Temperature Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – 100 degrees near Chatsworth, NJ
>>> Lowest Temperature Thursday, May 21, 2026 – 17 degrees at Foxpark, WY

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Wednesday evening:  Trade winds will steadily strengthen through Thursday, and a wind advisory has been issued for areas of Maui County and Big Island through Thursday night. Passing showers will continue to move in on breezy to windy trade winds through at least early next week. As usual, these showers will be most frequent during the nights and early morning hours across windward and mountain areas.

Update: Winds are still on track to steadily increase through Thursday. Wind gusts of around 50 mph have already been measured at select sites downwind of terrain over Maui County and the Big Island. Satellite imagery continues to show passing showers riding in with the strong trade winds focused over windward and mountain areas. A few leeward showers will also be possible tonight.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Wednesday evening:  Satellite shows partly to mostly cloudy skies and scattered showers mainly windward and mountains, with isolated showers over South Kona on Big Island. Winds have increased today, averaging 15 to 25 mph with gusts 30 to 40 mph in a few favored locations.

A drier air mass is moving in tonight, and the inversion will lower and strengthen. This will result in gusty winds over and lee sides of terrain. Winds are expected to reach advisory thresholds tonight into Thursday for the windier areas around Maui County and the Big Island, where gusts of up to 50 mph will be possible. For Oahu, wind gusts should be slightly weaker but gusts of at least 40 mph should be expected for areas downwind of terrain by late Thursday. Oahu is not currently in the wind advisory as winds are expected to be below advisory thresholds.

For the weekend, windy conditions will likely continue through Saturday. Trade winds should weaken slightly Sunday, but breezy to occasionally strong trades will likely continue into early next week. Trade wind showers will continue to pass through from time to time and will mainly be focused over windward and mountain areas.


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 Wednesday evening: The high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands will strengthen over the next few days, allowing trade wind speeds to increase into the strong to gale range tonight through early Friday morning. A Gale Warning has been issued for the Alenuihaha and Pailolo Channels, and Maalaea Bay starting this evening, and the Small Craft Advisory (SCA) has been expanded to all remaining island waters. Expect SCA to continue into the first half of next week.

Small, short- to medium-period, north-northwest (330 degree) swell energy will decline through Thursday. The next small north-northwest (330 degree) swell will move into the Hawaii waters on Saturday, increasing surf heights along north- and west-facing shores through the weekend.

A series of small, long-period, south swells will support near-average surf along south-facing shores over the next several days. Meanwhile, strengthening trades will maintain elevated surf along east-facing shores into next week.

 

Hawaii Wind Patterns Explained: Trade Winds & Kona Winds - Hawaii Real Estate Market & Trends | Hawaii Life


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:  A Sticky Solution to a Pesky Agricultural Problem

A water-based formulation developed at the University of Waterloo using nanotechnology is both greener and more effective than conventional methods for delivering agricultural pesticides.

The new solution dramatically improves how pesticides stick to plant leaves – even in wind and rain – minimizing splash and runoff that contribute to costly waste and environmental contamination.

In early field trials in cabbage plots with an industrial partner in Singapore, the formulation outperformed conventional delivery systems, which use chemicals and solvents to help droplets stick to leaves, by providing better pest control with less pesticide.

Read More: University of Waterloo