Latest / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing / Aloha Today — Your Daily Hawaii Briefing — Wednesday 2026-08-26
Transcript
- 0:00Aloha. Wednesday morning. Mostly dry and breezy through the weekend, with a south swell building in today. I'm Mele with what's happening in Hawaiʻi today.
- 1:47Light winds this morning, then moderate to breezy trade winds take over for the rest of the day. A warm, stable layer overhead keeps rain minimal — you'll see a few light showers on windward slopes and higher elevations, but most of the state stays dry. If you're heading out, the lee shores are your best bet for sun.
- 2:03Surf-wise, the south swell is building in today and will peak Thursday and Friday — south-facing beaches could see advisory-level surf before it eases into the weekend. Oʻahu's south shore is running 4.6 feet, moderate conditions with rip currents and shore break to watch. The north shore is smaller at 3.7 feet, safer for swimmers. Kauaʻi's at 4.2 feet, also moderate. Big Island's Hapuna is glassy and calm at 1.6 feet. East-facing shores stay rough from trade wind swell all week.
- 2:27Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is mostly open today. Kīlauea remains at an advisory alert level — the park's still tracking volcanic ash, so take precautions if you're heading that way. Rough seas and strong winds are affecting Maui and the Big Island through tomorrow morning.
- 2:41Episode 54 at Kīlauea wrapped yesterday evening after 9 hours of fountaining. Our piece on the eruption breaks down what happened — the peak fountains, the plume, and what park access looks like right now. If you're planning a volcano visit this week or just tracking what's active on the Big Island, it's worth a read.
- 2:57Head over to hawaii-guide dot com slash this-week for what we're tracking.
- 3:01Best play today is a lee-shore beach or a leeward hike — everything's dry, the views are solid, and the trade winds keep it cool. Catch you tomorrow morning.