Latest / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing — Sunday 2026-08-30
Transcript
- 0:00Aloha. Sunday afternoon in Hawaiʻi. I'm Mele with what's happening across the islands today.
- 1:36It's windy and mostly dry right now, but that changes tonight. Showers move in after dark and stick around through Wednesday morning, hitting windward and interior areas hardest. Afternoons should stay drier. If you're on a leeward shore—west or south-facing—this afternoon is your window for beach time before the pattern shifts. Winds stay moderate through the week.
- 1:55Surf is moderate on both sides of Oʻahu—4.5 to 4.6 feet—so watch the shore break and rip currents. Maui is smaller and gentler at 3.2 feet. The Big Island is nearly flat. Kauaʻi is running large at 6.2 feet, so that's for experienced swimmers only. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect until 6 PM today, so stay off the water if you're boating.
- 2:12Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is mostly open, though the Sulphur Banks Bridge remains closed and the Kahuku Unit is shut. Kīlauea is at advisory level. If you're heading up, check park conditions before you go—volcanic ash is present at higher elevations.
- 2:25Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach—the Big Island's most famous black-sand spot—had county services end yesterday. Our piece on that covers what's confirmed, what's still unclear, and how to plan if that's on your list. It's the kind of detail that matters if you're making the drive down to that corner of the island.
- 2:40Tropical Storm Lowell is tracking toward the islands late this week, but models disagree on exactly where and how strong it'll hit. Impacts remain uncertain, so I'll keep an eye on updates as the week goes.
- 2:51Grab your beach time on leeward shores this afternoon while the window is open. Catch you tomorrow.