Honolulu residents can expect to enjoy breezy trade winds alongside typical summer weather in the coming days. In a statement obtained by NWS, moderate to locally breezy trade winds are likely due to a high pressure system situated far northeast of Hawaii, bringing scattered clouds and occasional showers mostly to windward exposures and mauka slopes through early this week, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Honolulu.
The NWS Honolulu forecast indicates a slight decrease in shower activity and trade wind strength as a 1033 mb high located approximately 1,500 miles northeast of the islands moves a bit further northward, through Monday. While the downstream pressure gradient will continue to produce breezy conditions across the islands, residents can expect warmer temperatures under partly cloudy skies. A slight uptick in showers is, however, expected Monday afternoon into Tuesday with ribbons of increased moisture moving across the islands.
Aviation conditions are mostly favorable with persistent moderate trade winds. Pilots should be aware of the potential for mountain and valley rain showers that might lead to marginal VFR conditions at times, especially over windward and mountain areas across the islands. In general, the aviation sector will likely enjoy prevalent VFR conditions apart from those intermittent pockets of moisture.
Mariners will see fluctuating conditions over the next several days. Trade winds speeds are due to decrease through Monday until the high pressure ridge north of the Hawaiian Islands strengthens again around Tuesday. This resurgence will lead to an increase in trade wind speeds back into the moderate to locally strong range for the latter half of the week. "Wind speeds will remain just below Small Craft Advisory (SCA) levels through the windier eastern island bay and channels this morning," according to the NWS. Surfers should note that south facing shores will remain calm today, but a small, long period south swell expected to peak late Monday into Tuesday might provide a modest boost in surf conditions.
With the trade winds remaining moderate to locally breezy, and the atmosphere staying relatively dry through early Monday, standard summer fire weather conditions are anticipated. A slight rise in humidity is on the cards for late Monday into Tuesday, followed by a return to drier conditions mid-week as per usual for late July weather patterns in the region.
