First Alert Forecast: Finally, humidity from Lowell is backing down as trades build this weekend; plus keeping an eye on Norbert over the Pacific

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A drier trade wind flow is moving in today, bringing a welcome break from recent humidity. Over the next day or two, dewpoints will drop into the mid-to-upper 60s across most of the islands, making for much more comfortable conditions. Rainfall will stay fairly light and mainly focused along windward and mountain slopes. While the Kona slopes on the Big Island could still see a brief afternoon shower before the dry air completely sets in, radar returns and satellite views look calm, so the threat of localized flooding remains very low.

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That drier streak won’t last all week, though. By early to mid-next week, a disorganized tropical disturbance currently sitting about 1,000 miles south-southeast of Hilo will lift north toward the islands.

Even though it only has a low 20% chance of organizing into a tropical system, it will push a wave of tropical moisture into the area. That means you can expect humidity to bounce back up, with dewpoints climbing into the muggy mid-70s, along with a slight bump in trade wind strength and a higher chance for trade wind showers.

Looking further out, forecasters are keeping an eye on Tropical Storm Norbert, which is currently about 2,000 miles east-southeast of Hilo and heading west at 14 mph.

Any potential approach to Hawaii is still at least 10 days away, and because long-range forecasts carry a lot of uncertainty, it will be several more days before there is any clear picture on potential impacts.

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Many have been wondering how families on Niihau fared during Hurricane Lowell. Access to the remote island is tightly restricted and there are no images from there, but some with ties to Ni’ihau have said there is notable destruction.

We’re told only a handful of Ni’ihau residents were on island when Lowell came through as most of the residents made their way to Kaua’i before the worst of it.

Communication remains limited as Kauai-based Ni’ihau families are working to gather supplies and donations for all members of their community spread throughout various west side areas. KEMA Administrator Elton Ushio said the Robinson family who owns the island remains in close contact with the county as they are offering assistance as needed.

View the latest weather conditions here.

Download the HNN Weather app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for the latest updates from your First Alert Weather Team: chief meteorologist Jennifer Robbins and weather anchors Guy Hagi, Dan Cooke, Ben Gutierrez, and Billy V.

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