More than 270 record high temperatures, ties recorded in Hawaii in 2019

There were 272 record high temperatures and ties logged in Hawaii during the year of 2019, according to preliminary numbers from the National Weather Service.

Of that total, 135 were record highs, and 137 were ties, meaning they matched previous records.

Most occurred during summer months, when the temperature soared to a record high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit in Kahului, Maui, according to NWS meteorologist Vanessa Almanza.

The highest temperature of the year was 97 degrees Fahrenheit, which occurred twice in Kahului — on July 29 and Sept. 16.

Kahului, as a matter of fact, logged record highs and matches every month of the year, except for February and March, said Almanza.

It was, indeed, a hot and humid summer, which Hawaiian Electric Companies said drove increased demand for electricity to power air conditioners, and higher bills.

Hawaiian Electric began to see demand rise in May, a month earlier than usual.

From May to August, the utility said residential use was up in all areas it serves except Hawaii island compared to the same time in 2018.

Record highs were recorded year-round throughout the isles, in Hilo, Honolulu, Kahului and Lihue.

“Hawaii’s highs tend to peak August and September,” said Almanza, “just because oceans tend to be hotter at that time. So if the oceans are abnormally high, then Hawaii’s temperatures will be abnormally high.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said June 2019 was the hottest June on record in its 140-year history, with an average global temperature 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 59.9 degrees.

The Hawaiian region recorded its highest June temperature departure from average.

Even in December, when temperatures cooled down, record highs and matches continued to be logged, mostly in Kahului and Lihue, but also in Honolulu.