Honolulu - Geography - Climate

Climate

Honolulu experiences a tropical savanna climate (Köppen classification As) with a mostly dry summer season due to a rainshadow effect that suppresses summer rains. Honolulu has lots of sunshine most of the year. Temperatures vary little throughout the months, with average high temperatures of 80–90 °F (27–32 °C) and average lows of 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) throughout the year. Temperatures rarely exceed 95 °F (35 °C), with lows in the upper 50s °F (14–15 °C) occurring once or twice a year. The highest recorded temperature was 95 °F (35 °C) during a heat wave in September 1998. The highest recorded temperature in the state was also recorded later that day in Ni'ihau. The lowest recorded temperature was 52 °F (11 °C) on February 16, 1902 and January 20, 1969. Waters off the coast of Honolulu average 81 °F (27 °C) in the summer months and 77 °F (25 °C) in the winter months.

Annual average rain is 21.1 in (540 mm), which mainly occurs during the winter months of October through early April, with very little rainfall during the summer. Honolulu has an average of 278 sunny days and 90 wet days per year. Although Honolulu is known to have a wet and dry season, it is unnoticeable. This is mainly because light showers fall in the summer while heavier rain falls during the winter. Yet, both seasons experience the same amount of rainy days.

Although the city is situated at the tropics, hurricanes are quite rare. The last recorded hurricane that hit the city was Category 4 Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Tornadoes are also uncommon and usually hit once every 15 years. Watersprouts off the coast are somewhat more common, hitting about once every five years.