 |
WEATHER
AND CLIMATE IN HAWAII
One
of the most common reasons for visiting Hawaii is the weather. Cooling
trade winds, low humidity, high pressure, clear sunny days, negative
ionization from the sea, and an almost total lack of industrial
pollution combine to make Hawaii the most healthful spot in America. |
The
weather depends more on where you are on any given island than on
what season it is. The average daytime temperature is 78° in
the winter and 85° in the summer. Temperatures drop less than
10° at night. Temperatures generally drop about three degrees
for every 1,000 feet of altitude. The lowest temperatures ever recorded
in Hawaii were atop Haleakala in January 1961 when the mercury dropped
well below freezing to a mere 14°.
The
trade winds are so prevailing that the Northeast sides of the islands
are always referred to as windward. Kona means “leeward”
in Hawaiian, and when the trades stop blowing these southerly kona
winds often take over. To anyone living in Hawaii, “kona wind”
is euphemistic for bad weather, bringing in hot sticky air. They
are most common from October to April.
The
windward (east) side of the islands are hot and humid and the leeward
(west) sides are hot, dry, and sunny. The mountains' location play
the biggest role in rainfall. The best example is Manoa Valley which
has rainfall close to 135 inches a year while Waikiki, only moments
away, has only 25 inches a year. No wonder Waikiki is the most visited
place in Hawaii for it enjoys perhaps the best "tourist weather"
in the entire world. It is common to see gray rain clouds raining
over Manoa Valley, while the sun is shining brightly on Waikiki
sun bathers just two to three miles away.
To
check the current weather condition of Hawaii please
click
here |
Hawaii