Heat index hits 106 degrees with record highs

Humidity at Kahului Airport makes it feel even hotter

Hot and muggy weather brought high temperatures of 94 degrees to Kahului Airport on Thursday afternoon — setting a new record high for the date — with the heat index surpassing the 100-degree mark.

The temperature reached 94 degrees shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday. The previous record high of 92 degrees occurred on Sept. 20, 1953, 1965, 1994 and 1996, according to National Weather Service records.

While actual temperatures were in the 90s, it felt much hotter with the humidity. At noon Thursday at the Kahului Airport, actual temperatures reached 90 degrees, but the heat index, which is how hot it actually feels with humidity, registered 106 degrees.

The humidity hit 94 percent early Thursday morning and dipped to 52 percent shortly before 2 p.m., the low of the day.

On Molokai, high temperatures hit 88 degrees, though the heat index was 97 degrees. Meanwhile on Lanai, temperatures were cooler at 81 degrees with the heat index at 84 degrees.

The National Weather Service predicted hot and muggy weather for the entire island chain through Thursday night. The Honolulu Forecast Office tweeted that today “will be a transitional period as trade winds build and humidity decreases gradually across the state. A dry to normal trade wind pattern is expected by Saturday.”

Kahului was expecting mostly sunny skies today with a high of 90 degrees, a low of 73 and a 20 percent chance of isolated showers. Kaunakakai was expected to be sunny and breezy, with a high near 87 and a low of 72. Lanai City was expecting isolated showers after noon but otherwise sunny conditions with a high temperature near 83 degrees, calm winds and a 20 percent chance of rain.

Historically, the highest actual temperature recorded in Kahului during the month of September was 96 degrees, which occurred on Sept. 19, 1995, and Sept. 14, 1997.