Hot, breezy weather prevails for Hawaiian Islands as smoky conditions cloud parts of Maui
Moderate and breezy trades are expected to continue each day into next week statewide, weather officials said, with windward showers over the next few days.
National Weather Service forecasters expect this afternoon to be sunny and breezy in Kahului, with temperatures reaching close to 90 degrees and an east-northeast wind of about 25 miles per hour, with gusts up to 36 miles per hour.
Smoke also appears in the forecast, along with sunshine, mostly in the same areas affected by the wildland fire in Maui’s Central Valley. Satellite imagery shows smoke from the fire over the leeward slopes of Haleakala extending southwestward over Maalaea Bay.
Winds are projected to push the fire toward the east, southeast and, possibly, south.
With little change expected in the pattern of trades the next few days, the NWS said affected areas will likely remain the same until the fire is put out.
The heat index, which reflects what it feels like when temperature and humidity are combined, is expected to reach up to 93 degrees in Kahului this afternoon, and 95 degrees in Honolulu.
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Honolulu will also be sunny and breezy, with an east-northeast wind of around 17 miles per hour, and gusts up to 24 miles per hour.
Forecasters said no significant rainfall is expected during the next seven days.
Windward shower coverage may increase over the western end of the state through the weekend, then over the eastern islands Sunday night and Monday. Tradewind showers could also pick up statewide Monday night through Tuesday night as an upper-level low passes by to the north of the state.
Drier conditions are then expected to return Wednesday through late next week.
On Thursday, a record high of 94 degrees was set in Kahului, breaking the old record of 92 set in 2017.