Hawaii lightning map
Thunderstorms are infrequent in Hawaii, arriving mostly with cold-season Kona lows and occasional upper-level disturbances over the islands.
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Detected from NOAA GOES-19 GLM satellite data. Aggregate count for Hawaii — your exact location and alerts live in the app.
About lightning in Hawaii
Hawaii’s convection is subtropical and unusual: the most active period is the winter “Kona” season from November through April, when storms break the normal trade-wind pattern. Lightning is relatively rare and tends to come with these cold-season systems and heavy upslope rains. When storms do form over the islands and surrounding water, tracking the nearest strike and its trend is the clearest read in a place where thunderstorms are the exception, not the rule.
- Thunderstorm days/yr
- 8
- US rank
- #48 of 50
- Peak season
- November–April
State thunderstorm-day normals are provisional (NOAA/NWS); per-city climate data is shown where a station normal is published.
Cities in Hawaii
Lightning safety in Hawaii
When storms build across Hawaii, the distance to the nearest strike matters more than a statewide count. Follow the 30-30 rule: if thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, get indoors, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back out. If you can hear thunder, you are already close enough to be struck. StrikeCast surfaces the live distance and trend so you can act before the storm reaches you.
StrikeCast app
Distance, trend & alerts — in your pocket.
GPS-precise distance to the nearest strike, live approaching/moving-away trend, and push alerts for every place that matters across Hawaii — home, work, the kids' school.
Your exact location stays on your device. Never shared. Never tracked.
Lightning guides
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm days does Hawaii get?
Hawaii averages about 8 thunderstorm days a year, versus a US average near 25 — roughly 0.3× the national norm. Activity peaks November–April.
Where does Hawaii rank for lightning in the US?
By mean annual thunderstorm days, Hawaii ranks #48 of 50 states. Rankings use NOAA/NWS climate normals; the live distance and trend on this page come from NOAA GOES-19 satellite data.
When is thunderstorm season in Hawaii?
Lightning is most frequent November–April in Hawaii.
How does StrikeCast track lightning in Hawaii?
StrikeCast reads NOAA GOES-19 GLM (Geostationary Lightning Mapper) satellite data, updated continuously, to show how far away the nearest strike is and whether it is approaching or moving away. Save any place in Hawaii in the free app to get a push alert when lightning closes in.