The Weather on Hawaii
Hawaii’s weather can be quite varied due to the different situations and altitudes found on each of the islands. One thing is for sure, Hawaii is warm and welcoming all year round!
Hilo is the wettest city in the US while Mount Waialeale on Kauai gets a massive 460 inches of rainfall per year. Before you decide to give Kauai a miss, you should know that Kekaha, just 20 miles from Mount Waialeale, gets just 20 inches of rain per year, so location can be everything.
As the islands of Hawaii are in the Tropics, temperatures at sea level are consistently warm. Winter highs average 78F (26C) while summer highs rise to 85F (29C) but rarely hit 90F (32C). The warmest months are August and September and there is no cold season.
Hawaii is consistently shown to have one of the best climates in the world, which is why it is so popular. Casual beachwear is appropriate almost any time, although a light sweater or jacket may be needed at night.
Although the islands have some rainfall to create and maintain all that lush jungle greenery, most showers are isolated and short-lived.
The best weather in Hawaii is between May and October when most places do not see any rainfall, apart from the Puna and Hilo regions of the Big Island. Those visiting between December and April may want to choose an area which has less rainfall, although even the wettest areas enjoy many hours of sunshine too.
The microclimate on Big Island means that most places are dry with low rainfall, except for the area north of Volcanoes National Park, Hilo and the Waimea areas. The central region of Kauai and the north and east coasts have moderate rainfall but the south and west coasts especially around Kekaha remain consistently dry.
Maui is very dry in the central lowland area and around the west coasts from Kaanapali and Lahaina to Wailea. On Oahu the driest areas are the south and west coasts including Makaha, Kapolei, Waikiki and Honolulu.
Within these guidelines there are always exceptions, with small pockets enjoying their own microclimate, especially Waikiki. When the east coast of Oahu is wet, head to Waikiki where the Koolau Mountains will hold back the clouds and let the sun shine.
Photo: Hawaii sunset
