Latest / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing — Tuesday 2026-07-21
Transcript
- 0:00Aloha. Tuesday morning in Hawaiʻi. I'm Mele with what's happening today — and it's a rainy one across all the islands.
- 1:49Expect frequent showers and thick cloud cover through Wednesday afternoon. Rain's been falling since overnight — most areas got a few tenths of an inch to half an inch, though some spots picked up more than an inch. Even normally dry leeward areas like west Oʻahu are seeing showers today. Winds stay light to moderate for now, then turn noticeably breezy Wednesday and Thursday. Watch for minor street ponding in low-lying areas, but major flooding isn't likely. Drier air moves in late Wednesday, so things improve significantly by Friday.
- 2:16Water's moderate today. Oʻahu's south and north shores are running 4.7 and 4.2 feet respectively — watch for shore break and rip currents on exposed beaches. Kauaʻi's at 4.3 feet, Maui's Kāʻanapali at 3.5 feet, and the Big Island's calm at 1.2 feet. Today's a watch-from-shore day on the rough spots.
- 2:31Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has several trail closures right now — the Kahuku Unit Roads, Kīpukapuaulu Trail, and Lava Tube Bridge are all temporarily closed. The park remains open. Volcanic ash is present in the area, so take precautions if you're sensitive. Everywhere else is operating normally.
- 2:47If you're stuck indoors today with the rain, our piece on kalo farm tours walks you through where visitors can see functioning loʻi kalo and tour ancient taro terraces on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, and the Big Island. It's a solid rainy-day plan — you learn how kalo shaped Hawaiian food culture, not just what you'll find on a menu.
- 3:03Thursday is the shift — south and east-facing beaches will see large swells that stick around through the weekend, so skip swimming there. Conditions dry out Friday, then the windier trades settle in.
- 3:13Full kalo guide is on the site. Talk to you tomorrow.