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Hawaii weather and climate tables

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This is how beautiful the weather is today and the next days on Hawaii

Are you longing for the Pacific paradise? Then let's increase your wanderlust with the weather even more. In this article, we offer you the current display about the weather on Hawaii. In the overview, you can see everything important about the weather - from the temperatures over precipitation up to the current air pressure . Our weather forecast always displays the temperature in °C from today and the next days. Will there be clouds tomorrow or will it be clear and sunny? Our forecast tells you whether you should expect precipitation or whether it will be a day without rain and with many hours of sunshine or even perfect surfing weather.

For Big Island

For Kauai

For Oahu

For Molokai

For Maui

For Lanai

What is special about the weather in Hawaii?

We have travelled to the Hawaiian islands many times already. All touristy ones of them: Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Big Island, aka Hawaii, the island which gave its name to the whole atoll.

We travelled from sandy golden beaches to the highest peaks of the mountains. We hiked up boardwalks under the scorching midday sun and explored the cool, misty jungle slopes of dark, fascinating mountain landscapes. And we are always asked about one topic in particular: the climate.

In Hawaii, you can theoretically walk around in light clothing all year round and you will want nothing more. The temperatures are always optimal for people and nature. We have travelled to many, many countries but we have never experienced such a comfortable climate, all year round, before or after our first trip to Hawaii.

Now to the facts:

In Berlin or anywhere else in Europe, we are used to four seasons. Hawaii doesn't have autumn or spring. The summer ranges from May until October and the winter is from November until April. Don't worry, the temperatures hardly fluctuate during the year. They average 29 °C in August and 26 °C in February. The only difference is that rain is part of the winter months - which also creates perfect weather conditions that make Hawaii a mecca for surfers, especially in winter.

As far as the rain is concerned, especially the mountain weather is known for precipitation brought by the wind. On the precipitation radar, you can immediately see where rain is developing.

Hawaii offers beautiful sunsets
Hawaii offers beautiful sunsets

The most popular "the beach" in Honolulu - Waikiki Beach - offers beautiful bathing weather with little rain even in winter. Tourists from Germany and all over the world spend their free time on the beach at a temperature > 26 °C.

Just as diverse as the Hawaiian Islands itself is also the weather from Honolulu on Oahu to Kauai. Our overview of each island shows you this. In the climate tables, you can see when your perfect travel weather is.

The weather is as balanced as the Hawaiian inhabitants

Hawaii weather - equally suitable for surfing and relaxing
Hawaii weather - works both for surfing and relaxing

From early in the morning until night time, there is pleasant garden weather on Hawaii. Even at night, the temperature doesn't drop lower than 20 °C. , it only decreases by 5 °C in comparison to the daytime temperature. The weather does not feel too hot because there is always humid air along with almost 30°C. But with waterfalls, pools or the Pacific Ocean, refreshment is never far away. Even if some clouds pass by, there doesn't have to be rain right away.

The values of the temperature are evenly distributed throughout the year. Wonderful, because this means that there are hardly any thunderstorms in Hawaii's climate and organic weather is very good for your health. Why is the weather so pleasant every month? The warm winds from the northeast ensure this. Along with the frequent rainfall throughout the year, everything here thrives so beautifully green and colorful.

From the golden beach to the cool mountains

Did you know that the Hawaiian Islands are home to 10 of the world's 14 official climate zones? Apart from extreme temperatures at the summits, you can also travel and live in moderately cooler regions in Hawaii.
The average warm annual temperatures apply at sea level. However, many Hawaiian islands consist of a mountainous jungle landscape.
The higher you are, the cooler it usually is.

So if you're up for a jungle hike in slightly higher elevations, the temperature can drop as low as 15 degrees at times and even lower on the mountain peaks of Mauna Kea and Co. (Pack warm clothes!).

It is not uncommon for the hills to be covered in fog, while the skies on the beaches are clear. However, especially lengthy hikes can be accomplished much more pleasantly in cooler temperatures and misty primaeval forests offer a fascinatingly beautiful backdrop and a terrific photo motif.

If you like it cooler in general, you can book a slightly higher situated accommodation from the start.

By the way, the only island in Hawaii that actually combines all 10 climate zones is Big Island. If you're looking for the ultimate climate culture shock, Big Island is your address.

Important questions about the weather in Hawaii summarized

The archipelago of Hawaii, located in the Pacific Ocean, is a state of the USA but it belongs to Oceania and thus to the South Sea Islands geographically. Hawaii forms the northern tip of the Polynesian Triangle and so it belongs to the northern outer tropics. At the southern tip lies New Zealand.

On Hawaii, persistent northeast trade winds constantly and evenly create mild air over the archipelago. Interestingly, the sides of the island and landscapes facing the wind are relatively humid, tropical, dark green and covered with primaeval forest, while the sides facing away from the wind are quite dry and lack vegetation. This wind is responsible for the very mild climate all year round and prevents extreme seasons or strong temperature fluctuations throughout the year.

There are two official seasons in Hawaii. The winter, which is from October to March, and the summer from April to September. The average temperature in January is 22 degrees. The average temperature in June is 26 degrees.

On average, the sun shines between six and nine hours a day in Hawaii. And that almost every day. 

The sun in Hawaii is incredibly intense. Protect yourself from the start, especially around midday, with sunscreen and headwear to avoid both sunburn and sunstroke.

You can also look forward to cloudier days when the lower UV radiation gives you even more freedom. 

The Hawaiian islands offer a deep green jungle landscape on their northeastern slopes which needs a lot of precipitation. This is why it can rain frequently on the islands. Rainfall lasting for days, as you know them from Central Europe, does not exist here at all. It often rains briefly and heavily, or it rather drizzles from the sky. Liquid Aloha! On the volcanic island Big Island it rains by far the most. The month with the most rain is December with an impressive 28 days. The least rainy month is May with 19 days. On Lanai and Molokai, it rains less than half as much as on Big Island.
The sea temperature in Hawaii is between 24 and 27 degrees during the year. The coolest time to swim is between December and April. The warmest is between May and November.
The coldest place in Hawaii is on the summit of the highest mountain in the island chain, the majestic 4205 meter high Mauna Kea. Here, the daytime temperature during the year is between 5 and 8 degrees. The night temperature and sometimes lowest day temperature lies between -3 and -8 degrees. Theoretically, it could snow here every day. Practically, however, the snow remains only in the winter months for longer periods and yes, skiers can be seen here every now and then. Fun Fact: Mouna Kea is not only the highest mountain in Hawaii. Measured from its base, which is deep in the ocean, to its peak in the clouds, it is the highest mountain on planet Earth at 10,203 meters, ahead of the gigantic Mount Everest. Besides Mouna Kea, there are two other mountains where it gets really cold and snow falls as well. Mauna Loa on Big Island and Haleakala on Maui. The coldest temperature ever measured in Hawaii was -20 degrees. Not on a mountain peek but in icy craters inside the volcanoes.

No! A widespread "pub knowledge" says that Hawaii is the "place" with the highest rainfall in the world. This is not correct! Hawaii is a chain of islands and on Big Island alone it combines 11 of the 13 climatic zones known to us worldwide.

So, while it is true that a small part of the Hawaii archipelago is one of the rainiest places in the world:

Mount Wai'ale'ale on the island of Kauai averaged a whopping 12,000 millimetres per square meter over the long term.

The archipelago as a whole, however, with its average values (Honolulu for example 350mm) is far away from the Amazon region (2,000mm) or also far away from many German places (compare Berlin with 597mm).

So note: Hawaii is not a "place" but a chain of islands and combines 11 of the 13 climate zones! This is why Hawaii is one of the wettest places of the world, however, sunny beaches or even desert areas are also present!

Yes, unfortunately, even the Hawaiian islands are not always spared from tropical storms. It begins in June and continues until November. Especially the months of September to mid-November are affected. Two to six tropical storms are expected each year. But these are usually not half as violent on the Hawaiian islands as they are in Florida, for example. Often, the storms only graze the islands, causing wind, waves and a little more rain, but hardly causing any damage. The last hurricane that caused severe damage passed over Kauai in 1992.

Summer or winter: When should I travel to Hawaii?

Follow our current forecast for the next days or have a look at the climate table and you will notice that a trip is always worthwhile: Sometimes it is a bit cloudy but the sun shines most of the time on the beaches every day. In the climate tables for each island, you will also find out how many hours the sun shines per day. With our free weather radar by email, you will be able to plan the best time for your Hawaii trip.

Now: The weather radar for your travel period via email service

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Hawaii climate - it is always the best time for a visit

Why is Hawaii a paradise for vacationers from all over the world ? Fine sandy beaches, the clear Pacific Ocean with pleasant water temperature all year round and of course the lush green rainforests with rare plants. These are only three reasons why the visit to the Pacific Republic will be unforgettable. Hawaii's climate is not entirely innocent of this. Whether it is April, August or September, you will always have mild temperatures and regular precipitation with a high humidity during your vacation. These are the best conditions for the lush forests in the volcanic landscapes. This is the case on all sides of Hawaii that face the northeast wind. The regions facing southwest are drier. Especially the resorts on the long stretches of beach benefit from this. December, January and February are relatively wet throughout the island chain. The risk of rain is generally higher between November and March than in August, for example. But there is a rush of tourists around Christmas at the same time. This ia not a surprise since the northeast trade winds and the rainfall delight surfers from all over the world with huge waves. There is no autumn and spring like in Germany: The seasons on the Hawaiian Islands are limited to summer and winter. From May to October, there is little rain and the temperature averages close to 30 °C. May and June are a particularly good time for your vacation. The winter months from November to April bring more precipitation to Hawaii but even in January, the temperature is still a comfortable 26 °C on the islands. The water temperature invites you to swim at the Hawaii coasts in every month - even from November to March - because the ocean is warmed up all year round. The climate table of Hawaii shows overall mild and humid weather. The mountain weather differs, however, from the coastal regions and each part of the island chain has its own special features. That's why the islands will introduce themselves once again personally below. You will find a lot of great information about the climate of Hawaii. Just click through the climate table of each Hawaii island and find out the best time to travel. Our Hawaii expert Jessi is very familiar with the Hawaii climate and will be happy to answer all your questions about the climate.

The climate differences between the islands

The small but subtle climate differences of the individual islands exist but they hardly differ in their average temperature. Apart from certain altitudes of the high mountains, which are peculiar to some islands and not to others.

The warmest Hawaiian island on average in summer is Maui. Here, it can get up to 32 degrees. The coolest island in summer is Big Island with a maximum of 28 degrees. The other islands are somewhere in between.

However, not only the individual islands, but also within an island, the climate can differ even without altitude. Thanks to the northeast trade winds, the sides facing the wind are generally wetter and harsher than the sides away from the wind, which are protected by the respective mountains. In general, on the northeastern coast of each island, it rains more often, the sea is stormier, the waves higher and the landscape greener.

This will help: Stay up-to-date during your Hawaii trip with our weather radar by E-mail.

Oahu
Maui
Big Island
Kauai
Molokai
lanai
All Hawaii Islands
Overview of all islands & background info