Winds pick up, rains expected Wednesday night
A weather system north of the state is bringing rain clouds that will be blown over the islands by the tradewinds Wednesday night.
Winds are picking up and rain is expected to move over the islands starting Wednesday night through the weekend as a weather system moves over the state.
The winds are strong enough on the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to generate a wind advisory until 6 p.m.
The National Weather Service says summit winds are blowing at 40 to 50 mph, with gusts over 60 mph. The winds could make driving difficult, but the road to the top of Mauna Kea remained open early Wednesday morning.
A small craft advisory is also in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday because of 25 knot winds and 6 to 11 foot seas off the Big Island, the Alenuihaha and Palilolo channels, and Maalaea Bay.
Forecasters expect tradewind showers and humidity to increase Wednesday night as an area of enhanced moisture moves over the state.
Most of the rain will be in windward and mauka areas, but the winds may blow some rain to leeward areas.
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The forecast for Honolulu and south shores of Oahu calls for tradewinds of 10 to 20 mph, with highs between 86 and 92 Wednesday.
The chance of rain increases to 70 percent Wednesday night through Thursday night as the weather system moves through.
The system could linger into the weekend and there is a 50 percent chance of rain through Sunday night.
Forecasters say it’s not clear what will happen with the weather this weekend.
Forecasters say another weather system could also disrupt the tradewind flow and create unstable weather conditions late in the weekend. Rains could become heavy, with possible thunderstorms. But computer weather models are projecting different forecasts and forecasters hope to have a better idea of the weather this weekend later in the week.
Temperatures remain hot across the state.
Lihue tied a high temperature record on Tuesday. The 88 degree high matched a record set in 2003.
On Monday, Maui experienced its third day of record temperatures.
The high of 92 degrees at the Kahului Airport tied a record set in 1993. The high of 93 degrees Sunday tied a record set in 1977 and high temperature record of 95 degrees was set Saturday. It broke the old record of 90 set in 1991 on Maui.
On Saturday, Hilo tied a record of 90 degrees, set in 1981, and set or tied records for four days. The 90 degree temperature Friday beat an old record of 89 set in 1974. The 89 degree temperature Thursday tied a 1995 record. The 89 degree temperature Wednesday tied a 1995 record.
