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

 

The last update to this website was at 4am Friday HST


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

0.93  Kilohana, Kauai
0.66  Schofield East, Oahu
0.22  Puu Alii, Molokai
0.00  Lanai
0.96  Puu Kukui, Maui
1.40  Laupahoehoe, Big Island


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

22  Port Allen, Kauai – ENE 
37  Oahu Forest NWR, Oahu – E
31  Makapulapai, Molokai – E 
32  Lanai 1, Lanai – NE
38  Na Kula, Maui – NE
53  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. 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

Thunderstorms in the far southeast and southwest…cold front far northwest 

 

https://cdn.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES18/ABI/SECTOR/hi/GEOCOLOR/20261210440-20261211230-GOES18-ABI-HI-GEOCOLOR-600x600.gif

 High level clouds moving by to the southeast

 

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

Showers locally 

 

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 Aloha Friday comments:  I’m here at my friend Linda’s house in Corte Madera, Marin County, California, continuing on in my working vacation.

 

>>> Highest Temperature Thursday, April 30, 2026 – 98 degrees near La Puerta, TX
>>> Lowest Temperature Friday, May 1, 2026 – 8 degrees at Foxpark, WY

 

Hawaii’s Broad Brush Weather Overview…as of Friday morning:  An upper-level low northeast of the islands will remain nearly stationary, enhancing clouds and showers with moderate to locally breezy trade winds prevailing. This weekend, the upper low is forecast to move northeast away from the state, and wind speeds will decrease slightly. Mainly windward and mountain showers are expected, with limited spillover into leeward areas. Moderate trades will prevail into early next week, followed by lighter land/sea breeze pattern thereafter.

Weather Details for the Hawaiian Islands…as of Friday morning: Moderate to breezy trade winds are forecast to continue for the next several days, thanks to a series of high pressure systems that will move from west to east across the North Pacific. An upper-level low centered 600-700 miles northeast of the state, is causing some local instability resulting in deeper clouds and some enhanced shower activity across windward and mountain areas, with isolated showers reaching leeward areas.

This upper-level low will remain nearly stationary, keeping some cold air aloft over the region. This will continue the risk of occasional moderate to briefly heavy showers. Trade wind speeds should weaken slightly Saturday into Sunday, as the upper-level low exits the area to the northeast. Periods of showers will continue to favor windward and mountain areas.

Moderate trades will continue into early next week, though a weakness in the ridge could reduce speeds further as early as Tuesday. This scenario would support daytime sea breezes and nighttime land breezes, beginning as early as Tuesday and lasting through the middle of the 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 Environmental Conditions…as of Friday morning: Fresh to strong easterly trades are expected to strengthen as high pressure builds north-northeast of the state. As a result, the Small Craft Advisory has been expanded to include all Hawaiian waters. Winds will gradually ease over the weekend as the ridge weakens in response to a front passing far north of the islands.

This downward trend should allow winds to fall below advisory levels across most, if not all, waters by the end of the weekend, with similar conditions lingering into Monday. Trades are then forecast to ease further Tuesday through mid-week, potentially allowing a land and sea breeze pattern to develop near the coasts.

Surf along exposed north and west-facing shores will build above early May averages this weekend, due to a relatively active northern Pacific pattern for this time of year. Although offshore buoys have yet to detect this new swell energy, long-period northwest (320 deg) forerunners are expected to arrive today, leading to a gradual increase through the day. Surf heights could approach advisory levels Friday night into Saturday, particularly if the swell arrives larger than currently forecast.

This swell will then gradually ease through the weekend. Another, slightly smaller northwest pulse is expected early next week, maintaining elevated surf along north and west-facing shores. Looking ahead, guidance indicates yet another long-period northwest (320 deg) swell may arrive late next week, generated by a developing storm near Japan, that is forecast to lift northeast toward the Kuril Islands over the weekend.

Surf along south-facing shores will trend up over the weekend, as a long-period south-southwest pulse arrives. Expect a peak later in the weekend and into Monday before lowering.

Surf along east-facing shores will briefly rise (rough/short-period surf) through the day in response to the strong trades locally and upstream. A downward trend is then anticipated as the trades ease over the weekend.

 

 

Overhead view of the most beautiful beach in Oahu, Lanikai Beach!


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:  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



Interesting:  As Oceans Warm, Great White Sharks Are Overheating

The evolutionary edge that fueled great white shark dominance for millions of years could soon become its greatest downfall.

The ocean’s most iconic predators maintain warmer body temperatures than the surrounding seawater and are paying an increasingly steep price for it. As the oceans warm due to climate change, they now face the risk of potentially fatal overheating, according to a new study in Science.

Several large tuna species and sharks, known as “mesothermic” species for the way their bodies run hot, require more fuel to maintain their temperature and are thus confronting a “double jeopardy” of warming oceans and declining food, mainly from overfishing. As water temperatures climb, these species will be forced to relocate to cooler waters.

Read More at: Yale Environment 360