Hawaii County Weather Forecast for October 28, 2026
Hilo
Rest Of Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 68 to 75 near the shore to around 63 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning, then occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 67 to 73 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows 67 to 75 near the shore to 57 to 64 at 4000 feet. Light winds. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 70 to 76 near the shore to around 59 near 5000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 84 to 90 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in the evening, then scattered showers after midnight. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows 70 to 76 near the shore to 52 to 59 near 5000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waimea
Rest Of Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 67 to 74 near the shore to 62 to 69 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs around 83 near the shore to 71 to 79 near 3000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows 65 to 74 near the shore to 57 to 67 near 3000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kohala
Rest Of Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 67 to 74 near the shore to 62 to 69 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs around 83 near the shore to 71 to 79 near 3000 feet. South winds up to 15 mph shifting to the northwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows 65 to 74 near the shore to 57 to 67 near 3000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.
South Big Island
Rest Of Tonight: Breezy. Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows around 76 near the shore to around 63 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs around 83 near the shore to around 69 near 5000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph shifting to the southwest in the afternoon. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows around 75 near the shore to around 59 near 5000 feet. West winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Puna
Rest Of Tonight: Cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 68 to 75 near the shore to around 63 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. Numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning, then occasional showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 81 to 86 near the shore to 67 to 73 at 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the evening. Lows 67 to 75 near the shore to 57 to 64 at 4000 feet. Light winds. Gusts up to 25 mph in the evening. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Rest Of Tonight: Cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Lows 71 to 76 near the shore to around 60 above 4000 feet. Light winds becoming east up to 10 mph after midnight. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Wednesday: Breezy. Mostly cloudy with numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 84 to 90 near the shore to 68 to 75 above 4000 feet. West winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lows 72 to 77 near the shore to 52 to 59 above 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Detailed Forecast
Synopsis
A trough moving over the island chain from the west will bring clouds and showers to the state through tomorrow night. An accompanying upper level disturbance provides the instability for the chance for thunderstorms and locally heavy rainfall. Conditions are expected to improve Thursday or Friday, with trade winds returning this weekend.
Short term update
Showers continue moving over the state. While most showers are currently on the lighter side expect that to change within the next few hours. A heavier pocket of showers with some embedded thunderstorms is southwest of Oahu and moving to the northeast. Rainfall will continue to increase and may be heavy at times especially in any thunderstorms. No changes were made to the previous forecast as everything is on track.
Prev discussion
Issued at 323 PM HST Tue Oct 27 2026
No major changes to the forecast with the afternoon package. The High Wind Warning for the Big Island summits continues, as winds have reached advisory levels late this afternoon and are expected to continue to increase tonight. There were some minor tweaks made to the PoPs and associated fields for the first part of tonight as the rain is not spreading across the islands as quickly as we anticipated this morning.
While clouds have been plentiful over the islands today, rainfall totals have been light. Radar this afternoon shows heavier rainfall moving over the Kauai Channel, with light rain moving over the leeward and south portions of Oahu, Molokai and Lanai. Expecting the moderate to heavier shower activity to spread across the islands in the next few hours.
Satellite derived precipitable water (PW) continues to show over 3 inches about 325 miles southwest of the islands. This is twice the normal PW for this time of year. The 2 inch satellite derived PW is approaching the islands of Maui County this afternoon. The afternoon sounding from Hilo have 2.30 inches of PW and Lihue had 1.76, both about the normal value around 1.5 inches.
The remnants of Olana are more than 1300 miles southwest of the islands, with a monsoon trough extending nearly 800 miles to the east-northeast of the remnants, and trough extending to the east and then northeast of that. The trough remains south of the islands, with some surface lows forming along the trough. The low of most concern was analyzed about 530 miles southwest of Oahu this afternoon. The GFS and ECMWF models forecast the low to be a little further north at this time, but both agree with a weak low moving towards the islands. Satellite shows a broad area of layered clouds with embedded thunderstorms near the low and in the area between the low and the main Hawaiian islands. This area corresponds with the elevated PW mentioned above.
A north-northeast to south-southwest oriented upper level trough is about 800 miles northwest of Kauai, and is expected to move to the east over the next 24 hours, and will help to destabilize the airmass over the islands as the jet moves over the islands.
The Flood Watch is in effect through tomorrow night. The highest rainfall totals are expected to be focused over Maui County and Oahu. However, all islands remain under the Flood Watch with the potential for thunderstorms and locally heavy rain. Slow moving cells may become anchored along the terrain of the islands, which could lead to flash flooding anywhere. Breezy east winds could form just north of the low, while gusty southerly winds form to the south. Strong thunderstorms with localized damaging gusty winds may develop along and just south of the surface trough.
The threat of heavy rainfall will diminish Thursday and Friday. The jet stream aloft will lift to the north as the upper level trough moves to the west and an upper level low develops along the trough. The weak surface trough, with ample moisture will likely linger, providing some chance for spotty heavy showers that could require the Flood Watch to be extended.
Friday night into Saturday a brief period of trade winds may return as the lingering moisture associated with the trough is pushed south of the islands. The GFS and ECMWF are showing breezy northeast winds developing Sunday as a shallow front moves near or over the state.
Aviation
Widespread SHRA continue to push over the central portion of the state this evening. The timing of the heaviest rain will be early tonight through much of the overnight hours for the western end and central portion of the island chain. MVFR/IFR cigs/vis are expected with the rainfall. TEMPO groups are included in most locales to account for a period of RA with IFR cigs/vis. There will likely be isolated instances of RA+. VCTS/TS not included due to low confidence at this time. By late tonight into early tomorrow morning, PHTO and PHKO will start to see rain moving in as the area of precip moves to the east.
Winds will remain generally weak through the forecast period. However, thunderstorms could bring brief gusty and erratic winds.
AIRMET Sierra for mountain obscuration remains in effect abv 025 for all islands due to the increase in low clouds and steady rain.
Marine
Issued at 323 PM HST Tue Oct 27 2026
A vigorous surface trough and possible elongated area of low pressure will move over coastal waters surrounding Maui County and Oahu tonight and Wednesday as a broad surface low meanders roughly 800 nm northeast of the islands. Expect moderate easterly winds to develop north of the trough and southeast to south winds to form south of the trough. Close to the trough, these winds could become locally strong, especially if a surface low deepens near the islands, and a Small Craft Advisory (SCA) is in place for waters around Maui County and Oahu through Wednesday. In addition, strong thunderstorms along the trough could produce erratic wind gusts in excess of gale force. The trough and possible low will weaken near the Big Island Thursday, allowing ridging to the north to drive moderate to fresh easterly winds over most waters and southerly winds near Big Island. The trough will move south of Big Island Friday, and moderate to locally fresh trades will prevail Friday night and Saturday. Stronger northeast winds may develop on Sunday and require an SCA.
A moderate northwest swell will decline late tonight and Wednesday, allowing surf to fall below seasonal average along north- and exposed west-facing shores. This swell will fade by Thursday. A small, short-period north-northeast swell will persist through much of the week, and may even become moderate Thursday and Friday with the arrival of reinforcing energy from the northeast. A larger long-period northwest swell will arrive late Saturday and may push surf above the high surf advisory threshold Sunday and Monday.
A series of overlapping south-southwest swells will continue through the weekend. The current swell is producing south shore surf near seasonal average, and additional pulses on Wednesday and Friday could produce above average surf.
Surf along most east-facing shores will be small through the first half of the week, but areas exposed to wrapping north to north- northeast swells will experience periods of moderate surf. A moderate northeast swell is possible Thursday and Friday.
Fire weather
Issued at 323 PM HST Tue Oct 27 2026
Deep tropical moisture spreading over the islands is bringing the threat for heavy rain and thunderstorms at least through Wednesday night and possibly into Thursday. As a result, fire weather concerns will be low through the next several days. Inversion heights have eroded near the Big Island and sit near 7000 feet near Kauai.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
Flood Watch through late Wednesday night for Big Island East, Big Island Interior, Big Island North, Big Island South, Big Island Southeast, Big Island Summits, Central Oahu, East Honolulu, Ewa Plain, Haleakala Summit, Honolulu Metro, Kahoolawe, Kauai East, Kauai Mountains, Kauai North, Kauai South, Kauai Southwest, Kipahulu, Kohala, Kona, Koolau Leeward, Koolau Windward, Lanai Leeward, Lanai Mauka, Lanai South, Lanai Windward, Maui Central Valley North, Maui Central Valley South, Maui Leeward West, Maui Windward West, Molokai Leeward South, Molokai North, Molokai Southeast, Molokai West, Molokai Windward, Niihau, Oahu North Shore, Olomana, South Haleakala, South Maui/Upcountry, Waianae Coast, Waianae Mountains, Windward Haleakala.
High Wind Warning until noon HST Wednesday for Big Island Summits.
Small Craft Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM HST Wednesday for Kaiwi Channel, Kauai Channel, Maui County Leeward Waters, Maui County Windward Waters, Oahu Leeward Waters, Oahu Windward Waters, Pailolo Channel.
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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov
