Honolulu, brace yourself for a gradual return to breezy trades and potential high surf warnings. As an a weak front fizzles out over Maui, the National Weather Service in Honolulu forecasts a mild uptick in the trade winds by the midweek, moving from a northeasterly direction to easterly as a stable airmass takes hold. According to National Weather Service's latest update, rainfall from the dissipating front varied from 0.40 inches to 0.01 inches, with high clouds expected to clear later in the day.
The weak high will see winds veering northeast and breezes picking up by Tuesday afternoon. Into the midweek, residents should watch for light showers primarily hitting windward and mountain areas overnight and in the early morning. Despite the slight rise in wind speeds, conditions aloft have prompted an AIRMET Tango for moderate turbulence, impacting flights over the region. This typical pattern shift, moving to breezier days, is a harbinger, not the harbinger, of shifts to expect as seasons grapple with one another for dominance, as reported by the National Weather Service.
On the marine front, expect modest northerly winds through Tuesday, with a stronger northeast to east component by Wednesday. The surf along exposed north and west-facing shores will remain advisory level for now, with some fluctuations likely throughout the week. A larger swell is brewing, and if forecasts by National Weather Service are accurate, surf heights may eclipse warning levels by the weekend.
East-facing shores will see a rise in surf too, thanks to a northeastern swell, while south shores maintain average surf driven by a mix of swells. Fire weather concerns have mildly abated with increased humidity values giving a respite. However, KBDI values indicate leeward areas are still at risk, though critical fire weather is not anticipated in the upcoming week, an indicator of the checks and balances nature often presents.
A High Surf Advisory remains for north and west facing shores of Niihau and Kauai until 6 PM HST this evening, as per National Weather Service's advisories—expect some changes on that front, with a gradual decrease in surf size through midweek before the next swell arrives. The weather, like a pendulum, finds its rhythm in the push and pull of pressures and fronts, even as we go about our island lives.
