Heat indexes still high as tradewinds intensify

While stronger trades are blowing across the Hawaiian isles, heat indexes today are still expected to climb due to high humidity.

Forecasters say locally breezy trade winds are expected to persist into early next week across the state. The trades bring low clouds and showers, mostly for windward and mauka areas overnight and early mornings. A few, brief showers are also expected over the leeward side of smaller isles.

Due to a nearly east-northeast to west-southwest oriented tropical upper-level trough over the isles, there may be some “slight destabilization of the atmosphere.” Also, an area of enhanced tropical moisture is spreading westward, especially near the southern end of the state.

Highs today are expected to range from 88 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit, with trades at 15 to 25 miles per hour.

The heat index, a measure of how it feels when relative humidity and temperature are combined, is expected to reach as high as 100 degrees in Kapolei, 97 in Kahului, 96 in Honolulu and Lihue, and 92 in Hilo this afternoon.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service also recorded a tie from 83 years ago. A record high of 91 degrees was reported in Lihue, which tied the old record set in 1936. Since the start of September, temperatures have matched five records and surpassed two others from previous years.

Tropical Depression Twelve-E, meanwhile, was centered about 965 miles east-southeast of Hilo early this morning, while packing maximum sustained winds near 30 mph and heading west at 9 mph. It is expected to strengthen over the next 48 hours, and may become a tropical storm on Friday, according to the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.