Today's times, monthly calendar, daylight hours, and golden hour windows for every island.
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Daylight
Daylight Hours by Month
Hawaii's latitude (19–22°N) means daylight varies by less than three hours between summer and winter solstice — less swing than mainland destinations.
Daily Times
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Date
Sunrise
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Daylight
Times are calculated for sea level. Summit locations such as Haleakala and Mauna Kea can see sunrise slightly earlier because of elevation.
Golden Hour & Photography
Morning Golden Hour
Starts at sunrise and lasts roughly 30 minutes. The light is warm, soft, and directional. Head to east-facing beaches and overlooks. Haleakala summit, Makapu'u Lighthouse trail, and Waimea Canyon lookout are all spectacular at this time.
Evening Golden Hour
Begins about 30 minutes before sunset. West-facing beaches light up: Waikiki, Ka'anapali, Po'ipu, and Kona Coast. This is the classic "Hawaiian sunset" window. Stay 10 minutes past sunset for the best color in the sky.
Most sunset cruise operators time departures 1.5-2 hours before sunset. Check today's sunset time above and book accordingly. The best light starts 30 minutes before the sun dips below the horizon.
Mauna Kea Stargazing
Astronomical twilight ends well over an hour after sunset, with exact timing varying by date. For the clearest skies on the Big Island's Mauna Kea, plan to be at the summit visitor station by sunset and stay through dark.
Why Hawaii Sunsets Look Different
Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific with no light pollution on the horizon. The sun drops straight down (near the equator, it doesn't set at an angle) giving you a faster but more vivid sunset. The "green flash" is real and happens right as the sun disappears.
Trade winds are strong right now, with high surf hitting the south shore today. Windward areas are seeing frequent showers through the weekend.
South-facing beaches have dangerous surf today through Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will build rough water by Sunday or Monday. The bigger picture is a tropical system, Fausto, heading our way. It's weakening but should arrive near the islands by Tuesday or Wednesday as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing strong winds, rough seas, and heavy rain. The exact track is still uncertain, so check the forecast daily.
Get your beach time and water activities in today through early next week on the leeward side, where conditions stay calmer. Be ready to shift plans by midweek when conditions turn rough.
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Windy conditions across Maui right now, with trade winds gusting strong. South-facing shores have high surf today and will see another big swell Saturday and Sunday—the water's dangerous unless you're an experienced ocean swimmer.
Through the weekend, windward areas will get frequent showers while trade winds stay gusty. The bigger picture arrives midweek: Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward the islands and should reach Maui as a tropical storm or weaker system Tuesday or Wednesday. That'll bring rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Hit the leeward beaches and snorkel south Maui coasts today through early next week, but stay out of windward and south-facing waters through Sunday.
0:000:54
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Windy conditions dominate right now with strong trade winds pushing across the island. South-facing shores have high surf today—dangerous water if you're not an experienced swimmer.
Through the weekend, those south shores see another big swell Saturday and Sunday, and east-facing shores will build dangerous conditions by Sunday or Monday. Windward areas get frequent showers. A tropical system—the remnants of Hurricane Fausto—is weakening and headed toward the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system by Tuesday or Wednesday, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain midweek. Timing and track are still uncertain, so check updates daily.
Leeward beaches on the Kona side stay your best bet today through early next week, but avoid the water on the windward and south shores through Sunday.
0:000:57
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Strong trade winds are pushing showers across windward areas through the weekend. On Kauaʻi, expect frequent showers on the windward side.
High surf is running on south-facing shores today and will build again Saturday and Sunday—stay out of the water unless you're an experienced swimmer. East-facing shores will also see dangerous swell by Sunday or Monday. Hurricane Fausto is weakening as it moves toward Hawaii. By Tuesday or Wednesday it should reach the islands as a tropical storm or weaker system, bringing rough seas, strong winds, and heavy rain. Track and timing are still uncertain, so check updates daily through midweek.
Beach time on leeward shores works through early next week. Plan water activities for today, but be ready to shift if Fausto's track becomes clearer—conditions will deteriorate by midweek.
Created with AI from the official NWS forecast discussion · verify with NWS before heading out
