Published by the University of Hawai\u2018i Sea Grant College Program, this first-of-its-kind report uses plain language, along with easy-to-interpret maps and figures, to summarize statewide rainfall, temperature, and drought conditions over the past year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout 2025, we heard people across the state talking about just how hot and dry the year felt,\u201d said Ryan Longman, director of the Hawai\u02bbi Climate Data Portal. \u201cNow we have the data to show what people were experiencing on the ground. We hope this type of reporting helps connect residents to their own lived experiences with Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s climate and gives communities the information they need to plan for what\u2019s ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the report, 2025 was the second driest year in Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s 106-year record, with statewide rainfall averaging just 42 inches\u2014about 20 inches below the 30-year average.<\/p>\n ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n Maui experienced its driest year on record, while Hawai\u02bbi Island recorded its second driest year. By the end of the year, 65% of the state was classified as abnormally dry or worse, and all of Moloka\u02bbi experienced dry conditions. The most intense drought occurred in February, when 56% of Hawai\u02bbi was in severe drought or worse, the report indicates.<\/p>\n Statewide, 2025 ranked as the sixth warmest year on record, averaging 0.8\u00b0F warmer than normal. For Maui and Kaua\u02bbi, it was the third warmest year since 1990.<\/p>\n The report reflects decades of effort to monitor Hawai\u2018i\u2019s climate and conduct high-level scientific research, paired with more than eight years of collaboration by a team of climate and data scientists to develop an expanding suite of high-quality climate maps and decision support tools.<\/p>\n ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW AD<\/p>\n Outside of providing data, the report is designed to connect communities, resource managers, and policymakers with the climate data behind what many experienced firsthand, providing essential information to support climate preparedness and long-term planning across the islands, according to a news release from the University of Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n These maps are hosted on the Hawai\u2018i Climate Data Portal and, for the first time, make it possible to summarize climate conditions consistently across the entire state.<\/p>\n Looking ahead, the establishment of the Hawai\u2018i Mesonet<\/a> is expected to further improve the quality and detail of future reports by expanding on-the-ground climate observations. This report marks the first in a new annual series, to be released at the start of each year and refined and expanded over time as Hawai\u2018i\u2019s climate data and monitoring networks continue to grow.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img14374_17975l-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/a>Dr. Ryan Longman consults with Dylen Joaquin of the Hawai\u2019i Cattleman\u2019s Association. (Photo courtesy PDKE)<\/p>\n
Rainfall was below average for 11 out of 12 months, and August ranked as the driest August in the past 35 years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/drought-data-2025-1024x576.jpg\")
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<\/a>Tom Giambelluca is the driving force behind the Mesonet system. (Photo courtesy: University of Hawai\u2018i)<\/p>\n