Despite another record-setting maximum temperature of 88 degrees on Wednesday, overcast skies and rainfall have helped keep things cooler in East Hawaii during the past week.
Despite another record-setting maximum temperature of 88 degrees on Wednesday, overcast skies and rainfall have helped keep things cooler in East Hawaii during the past week.
The temperature gauge at Hilo International Airport has gotten a workout since the end of June, when a series of record-setting daily high temperatures began.
The gauge registered a total of 12 record-setting high temperatures between June 28 and Wednesday, the most recent day for which data was available from the National Weather Service. Temps hit their peak July 12, when Hilo had a high of 90 degrees, breaking a previous record of 88 degrees set in 1965.
Rainy skies set in this week, and it looks like the summer heat wave might be put on hold for now, according to NWS forecaster John Bravender.
“I don’t see any records on the horizon right now,” he said Friday. “It looks like it’s going to be kind of muggy and humid again, with more showers than we had last time. There may be a period when it dries out again Monday and Tuesday. There may be a fair amount of sun (on those days). But it’s hard to forecast record conditions, especially when the difference (from average) temperatures is so narrow.”
Today’s forecast was for partly cloudy skies, with haze on the leeward side, scattered showers during the day and isolated showers at night. Highs were forecast between 83 and 88 degrees, with lows between 72 and 77.
East Hawaii was expected to be mostly cloudy Sunday with scattered showers, while West Hawaii has a slight chance of a thunderstorm. Highs were expected between 84 and 89 degrees, with lows between 72 and 77.
The cloudy conditions are expected to persist in East Hawaii through Tuesday.
“There’s a surface trough northeast of the state right now. It is what’s left over from (Tropical Storm) Enrique in the Eastern Pacific, and there’s no circulation … but there is some moisture along with it,” Bravender said. “Most of that’s going to be passing north of us, so we’re not expecting much in the way of widespread heavy rain, but it is going to bring in some moisture, bring in higher dew points, and get between us and the subtropical high, so winds will drop off.”
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.