The University of Hawaiʻi’s Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP) team has launched a new interactive website that allows the public to explore how Hurricane Nolo affected weather across the Hawaiian Islands, from its first rain bands over Hawaiʻi Island to the heavy rainfall that later drenched Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.
Among the notable observations, Hawaiʻi Mesonet stations recorded storm rainfall totals exceeding 20 inches at three locations on Hawaiʻi Island, while a United States (U.S.) Geological Survey gauge at Mount Waiʻaleʻale on Kauaʻi recorded more than 38 inches.
“This website allows people to see how a major storm affected different parts of Hawaiʻi, not just through a few headline numbers, but in considerable detail as the event unfolded,” said Cherryle Manzano, who developed the new website with fellow HCDP climate data analyst Matthew Lucas.
Interactive abilities
The Hurricane Nolo website brings together observations from the more than 80 weather stations of the Hawaiʻi Mesonet, other weather monitoring networks, and satellite imagery to provide a detailed picture of the storm’s impacts.
An interactive animation lets users follow the storm hour by hour, showing rainfall, wind gusts and satellite images as Nolo approached, stalled south of Hawaiʻi Island, and eventually moved away. Users can select individual weather stations to examine how conditions changed throughout the storm. A second interactive feature displays daily rainfall maps, allowing users to explore how precipitation varied across the islands.
Statewide monitoring, accessible data
“Extreme weather event analyses such as this one for Hurricane Nolo demonstrate the tremendous value of maintaining a dense, statewide weather monitoring network and making its data readily accessible to the public,” added Thomas Giambelluca, professor emeritus at 糖心视频 Mānoa, Hawaiʻi Mesonet leader and HCDP co-lead, now based at Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program.
The Hurricane Nolo website is the fifth extreme weather event website released by the HCDP team since March 2026. Previous websites documented two Kona low storms in March and Hurricanes Lowell and Lala. These event summaries build on the routine collection, quality control and analysis of weather and climate data.
The Hawaiʻi Mesonet and HCDP provide data and information that support emergency preparedness, weather forecasting, water resource management, agriculture, scientific research and public education.