Latest / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing — Tuesday 2026-07-28
Transcript
- 0:00Aloha. Tuesday morning. Tropical Storm Fausto is moving past north of the islands today and Wednesday, bringing heavy showers and rough ocean conditions to east-facing shores.
- 1:52Expect afternoon and evening heavy rain, especially in windward and inland areas. Oʻahu and Kauaʻi will see typical windward showers today, then heavier rain Wednesday. Winds are weakening as Fausto approaches, which means sea breezes developing on the Big Island and Maui this afternoon. By Wednesday night the storm moves away and trade winds return.
- 2:09Ocean conditions are rough through Wednesday. East shores are under warning — that's 6.8-foot waves on Kauaʻi's Hanalei, 5 feet on Oʻahu's north shore. A Small Craft Advisory is active for windward waters. South shores are gentler: Waikīkī at 4.1 feet, Kāʻanapali on Maui at 3.2 feet. Today is watch-from-shore territory on the east side.
- 2:26Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has several closures — the Lava Tube Bridge is under replacement, Kīpukapuaulu Trail is closed due to hazardous trees, and the Kahuku Unit roads are shut. Stay alert for volcanic ash if you're heading to the summit. Everything else is open.
- 2:40If you're planning snorkel outings this week, our guide on picking a marine naturalist tour walks through what separates a real reef briefing from sales talk — what questions to ask on the phone, what a good introduction to the reef actually sounds like. When water conditions settle down after Wednesday, that piece gives you the framework to find a guide who teaches, not just ferries people to a reef and points.
- 3:01Wednesday winds ease and rain peaks, then Thursday clears and stabilizes. Friday into the weekend, expect a new swell rolling in from the south and east as stronger trade winds build.
- 3:10Stick to leeward beaches and calm-water spots through Wednesday. Talk to you in the morning.