Hawaii County Weather Forecast for May 17, 2026
Hilo
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 65 to 71 near the shore to around 59 at 4000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 65 to 72 near the shore to around 59 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Kona
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers early in the evening, then partly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Lows 67 to 75 near the shore to around 56 near 5000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph early in the evening becoming light. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny with isolated showers in the morning, then partly sunny with scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 85 to 90 near the shore to around 70 near 5000 feet. West winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 67 to 75 near the shore to around 58 near 5000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Waimea
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers early in the evening, then partly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Lows 65 to 73 near the shore to 60 to 67 near 3000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to 72 to 80 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 65 to 73 near the shore to 60 to 67 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Kohala
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers early in the evening, then partly cloudy with isolated showers after midnight. Lows 65 to 73 near the shore to 60 to 67 near 3000 feet. North winds up to 10 mph shifting to the east after midnight. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Isolated showers in the afternoon. Highs around 82 near the shore to 72 to 80 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy with isolated showers. Lows 65 to 73 near the shore to 60 to 67 near 3000 feet. East winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
South Big Island
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy early in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Breezy. Scattered showers. Lows around 76 near the shore to around 59 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday: Breezy. Mostly sunny with isolated showers. Highs around 88 near the shore to around 71 near 5000 feet. East winds up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear. Breezy. Lows around 76 near the shore to around 59 near 5000 feet. Northeast winds up to 20 mph.
Puna
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy with numerous showers. Lows 65 to 71 near the shore to around 59 at 4000 feet. South winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent.
Sunday: Partly sunny with scattered showers. Highs around 82 near the shore to around 69 at 4000 feet. Northeast winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers. Lows 65 to 72 near the shore to around 59 at 4000 feet. Northwest winds up to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Waikoloa
Rest Of Tonight: Mostly cloudy early in the evening then becoming partly cloudy. Scattered showers early in the evening, then isolated showers after midnight. Lows 70 to 75 near the shore to 55 to 60 above 4000 feet. Light winds. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. Scattered showers in the afternoon. Highs 85 to 91 near the shore to 68 to 73 above 4000 feet. North winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy. Isolated showers in the evening. Lows 70 to 75 near the shore to around 58 above 4000 feet. Southeast winds up to 15 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Detailed Forecast
Synopsis
Light to moderate wet trades will continue through Sunday. Winds will increase in speed Monday, becoming moderate to occasionally breezy. Wet trades through Monday night will dry out somewhat Tuesday, and a rather typical trade pattern is forecast to continue from Tuesday into next weekend.
Update
The departing upper level low to the north managed to produce enough deep convection late this afternoon to induce a surface trough nearby. As a result, trades were briefly disrupted over Maui County and portions of the Big Island. As trades began to build back in around sunset, heavy showers developed along windward slopes of Oahu, Maui County, and northern Big Island, and the short term forecast was updated to reflect current conditions. Expect this activity to gradually diminish as the night progresses. The rest of the forecast remains in track.
Prev discussion
Issued at 338 PM HST Sat May 16 2026 Radar and satellite show numerous showers have been occurring over the state this afternoon, mainly on Oahu and the eastern side of Big Island. Rainfall amounts have ranged from just a few hundredths of an inch up to 3 inches since sunrise today. Winds have been averaging 5 to 15 mph – generally out of the east windward and west leeward.
The upper level low that helped bring so much precipitation to parts of the state yesterday continues to move away to the northeast as it weakens. We still have some instability, but it is significantly lower now. Ridging aloft to our northeast will be slightly weakened by troughing extending off the coast of the southwest mainland, but will still be strong enough to bring the trades back and keep them in place for at least the next week.
Initially, with PW values near 1.5 inches, we will see plenty of trade wind showers. This will change Tuesday when drier air is brought back into the region from the northeast. From Tuesday into at least next weekend, trade showers will be more typical in number and intensity. Wind speeds will generally average 5 to 15 mph Sunday, but increase Monday to 10 to 20 mph, with higher gusts. These moderate to occasionally breezy trades will then persist into next weekend.
Aviation
An upper level disturbance northeast of the island chain continues to produce unsettled weather conditions with periods of showers and brief MVFR conditions over island mountains this evening. Periods of showers will continue into the early morning hours with decreasing trends on Sunday as the upper level disturbance weakens and drifts farther eastward away from the state.
AIRMET Sierra remains in effect for mountain obscuration for the islands of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii.
Marine
Issued at 338 PM HST Sat May 16 2026 Winds will remain slightly east southeasterly at moderate to fresh levels through the rest of the weekend. Meanwhile, increasing stability over the region will result in decreasing shower and thunderstorm coverage across the coastal waters. A more typical easterly trade wind pattern will return next week.
A small, medium-period north northwest (320-330 degree) swell will continue to decline through Sunday night, with surf along north- facing shores following suit. A medium-period north northwest reinforcement may provide another small bump in surf along north- facing shores by early morning on Monday, followed by another small reinforcing swell on Tuesday. Surf along west-facing shores will remain mostly steady through the rest of the weekend as the northwest swell influence gradually declines, but a new, long- period south southwest swell fills in.
A mix of small, medium- to long-period south swells will maintain small surf along south-facing shores for the next several days. The long-period south southwest swell described above will increase surf along south-facing shores through Sunday. Additional small, medium to long-period south swell reinforcements will arrive Sunday through mid-week.
Moderate to fresh trades will maintain rough and choppy surf along east-facing shores for the next several days.
Tides will peak around 2.5 to 3.0 ft MLLW this weekend. Minor overwash of low lying coastal areas will be possible during times of high tide.
HFO Watches/Warnings/Advisories
None.
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Data Courtesy of NOAA.gov





