HONOLULU (AP) — A Hawaii heat wave has continued to set record high temperatures through June, officials said.
Temperatures this week matched or exceeded previous records, news organizations reported Wednesday.
Temperatures in Honolulu were expected to reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit Thursday, National Weather Service forecasters said.
The weather service recorded a high of 91 degrees Fahrenheit in Honolulu Tuesday, breaking the record of 90 for the date in 1995.
Record high temperatures of 90 and higher have also continued this week on Maui.
Since May 16, Maui has seen 18 record-setting or record-tying high temperature days, including 96 degrees Fahrenheit on May 26 at the Kahului Airport, officials said.
Sensors at the airport were inspected last week because of the number of records. There were no abnormalities, but the sensors were replaced anyway, said weather service meteorologist Melissa Dye.
During May, officials said 27 records were either set or matched in Honolulu, Kahului, Hilo and Lihue.
The heat has benefited some island businesses.
David Yamashiro, co-founder and partner of Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, estimated business was up about 15% during the heat streak and lines were out the doors.
“It’s been great,” Yamashiro said. “Business has definitely been booming in all shops. That’s pretty indicative it’s weather-related.”
A1 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning &Sheetmetal in Kahului is “super busy right now,” said owner Michael Saito.
“This past month, yeah, people been calling,” Saito said. “They didn’t even look at the price.”