LIHUE — If you didn’t know already, summer is here. Not because schools are out and parking spots at beaches are few and far between, but because of rising temperatures and humidity levels on Kauai. Stepping outside yesterday morning, it’s
LIHUE — If you didn’t know already, summer is here. Not because schools are out and parking spots at beaches are few and far between, but because of rising temperatures and humidity levels on Kauai.
Stepping outside yesterday morning, it’s hard to believe that the high was only 83 degrees. But factor in a 69 percent humidity rate, 83 degrees feels like 88 degrees, according to weather.com.
In fact, Derek Wroe, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that while current temperatures on The Garden Isle aren’t out of the ordinary, it’s normal to feel that each day is hotter than the last.
“It’s not too atypical for this time of year, but the temperature has been running a couple degrees higher than usual,” he said. “It’s not exactly typical, but we are heading into the hotter time of the year. Temperatures have been running a couple degrees higher than normal and that’s mostly because the temperature of the ocean is running above normal, which is usually a big driver of temperatures on Kauai.”
Wroe explained that when the ocean’s temperature rises, that creates more moisture in the air, which is why it feels so humid outside.
“The ocean modifies us and keeps Hawaii on such a narrow range because we have such a sub-tropical ocean around us,” he said. “With the ocean being a little warmer than normal and translating to higher temperatures, there’s also a little more moisture in the air, which could lead to more humidity, which are probably the reasons why it feels a little hotter out there.”
As for the forecast for the rest of the week, rest assured as the tradewinds won’t be going away anytime soon despite humidity rates hovering around 68-70 percent through Saturday.
“It’s going to be typical tradewinds for the next several days, heading all the way into the weekend, more or less,” Wroe said. “There could be an increase in showers during the weekend into Monday, but that wouldn’t be a significant increase.”
